Ace Paul Skenes gave Pittsburgh a much-needed boost with seven quality innings, Oneil Cruz homered, and the visiting Pirates salvaged a 4-2 win in their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon.

In a strong start, Skenes (1-0) allowed just one unearned run on three singles, lowering his ERA to 1.46. He struck out six without a walk over 102 pitches (72 for strikes).

Cruz was 2-for-4 with a solo homer, two RBIs and a stolen base, while Adam Frazier had two hits, an RBI and was hit by a pitch. Endy Rodriguez posted a hit and an RBI.

In his second start, Ryan Pepiot (0-1) had to battle, yielding two runs on five hits over five innings in 88 pitches (56 strikes). The right-hander struck out three and walked three.

Jonny DeLuca went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and stolen base, but the Rays managed only four singles.

In the second inning, the visitors tallied after Ke’Bryan Hayes sparked the offense with a leadoff triple. He was retired on a fielder’s choice, but Frazier produced a two-out, RBI single to score Jared Triolo for Pittsburgh’s first lead in the series.

The Pirates nearly doubled the advantage in the third after Tommy Pham drew his second walk and stole second. However, Jose Caballero gloved a sinking liner to right by Hayes to keep it 1-0.

With one out in the fifth, Cruz jumped on an 87 mph changeup up in the zone from Pepiot, launching it out to left center an estimated 391 feet for his second home run and a 2-0 lead.

After Skenes allowed two singles through five innings and retired seven straight, DeLuca led off the sixth with an infield single and advanced on shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s throwing error. DeLuca scored on Brandon Lowe’s groundout to halve Pittsburgh’s lead.

Rodriguez added an insurance tally in the eighth with a single to plate Jack Suwinski, but DeLuca answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

Pirates reliever Ryan Borucki fanned pinch hitter Curtis Mead with the tying run on second in the eighth, and Pittsburgh went up 4-2 in the ninth on Cruz’s sacrifice fly.

Dennis Santana worked around a 10-pitch walk in the ninth for his first save.

–Field Level Media