Steven Kwan went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Kyle Manzardo hit a rare home run off Pirates ace Paul Skenes to help the Cleveland Guardians beat host Pittsburgh 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Skenes (2-2) tossed seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out a season-low four.
The Guardians picked up their second consecutive win as starter Ben Lively (1-2), Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and closer Emmanuel Clase combined for Cleveland’s third shutout of the season while scattering six hits. Lively allowed four of those hits over 5 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out three.
Enmanuel Valdez had the last of those Pirates hits to lead off the ninth. While trying to leg out a triple, he was tagged out when he took his hand off the bag after appearing to hurt his left shoulder on the slide. Clase went on to record the final two outs and pick up his fourth save.
Skenes put together his fourth consecutive start of six or more innings and collected his 200th career strikeout.
Manzardo hit Skenes’ first pitch of the seventh inning — a 93-mph splitter on the inner half — 411 feet and over the right-field fence to put Cleveland ahead 2-0. It was Manzardo’s fifth home run this season and the first allowed by Skenes in his past 11 starts dating back to Aug. 16, 2024.
Kwan drove in the first run when he singled to score Daniel Schneeman, who opened the top of the third with a double. Nolan Jones went 2-for-3 and Jose Ramirez went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The Pirates were shut out for the fourth time this season, but they had their chances.
Oneil Cruz walked and Bryan Reynolds singled to put runners on first and third with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. Lively struck out Ke’Bryan Hayes before being replaced by Smith, who walked Valdez to load the bases with one out. Smith got the Guardians out of the jam when Tommy Pham hit his first pitch to second base for an inning-ending double play.
Before the game, the Pirates recalled two-time All-Star reliever David Bednar from Triple-A Indianapolis. Bednar, who went 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA and one save in three appearances before being sent down to the minors, pitched a scoreless ninth despite allowing two singles.
–Field Level Media
