MLB roundup: Paul Skenes strikes out 11 in Pirates' win over Cubs
Skenes (1-0) earned his first career win while making his second major league start. He struck out the first seven batters he faced and was perfect until walking Michael Busch with one out in the fifth.
Busch was the only one to reach base against Skenes. Chicago did make Skenes work, though, preventing him from going the distance. He threw 100 pitches, 67 for strikes, and was replaced by Carmen Mlodzinski ahead of the home half of the seventh.
Connor Joe finished with three hits and Jared Triolo and Yasmani Grandal each had two to go along with three RBIs for Pittsburgh, which has taken the first two games of the four-game series.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (0-4) was charged with eight runs (seven earned) and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He didn't issue a walk and struck out four as his ERA ballooned to 10.57. Miguel Amaya hit a solo home run for the Cubs.
Rays 4 Blue Jays 3
Left-hander Tyler Alexander was perfect into the eighth inning, Richie Palacios hit a two-run home run and visiting Tampa Bay defeated Toronto.
Davis Schneider hit a two-run home run for the Blue Jays, who did not have a base runner until Danny Jansen singled with one out in the eighth. Alexander (2-2) allowed three runs and three hits in 7 1/3 innings in the opener of a three-game series. He walked none and struck out four.
Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (3-6) allowed three runs, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Tigers 13 Diamondbacks 0
Javier Baez drove in five runs and Kerry Carpenter knocked in four as Detroit shook off its recent offensive struggles and routed Arizona in Phoenix.
The Tigers piled up 17 hits in the opener against Arizona. Rookie Colt Keith collected a career-high four hits while contributing two RBIs and three runs. Six Tigers enjoyed multi-hit performances as the club posted a season-high run total. Tigers starter Tarik Skubal (6-0) pitched six innings of one-hit ball, striking out six and walking none.
Arizona, which managed three hits and no walks, took its first shutout loss since an 8-0 result against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 1.
