Paul Skenes will have another chance to bolster his case for the National League Cy Young Award when he and the host Pittsburgh Pirates oppose the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday night.

In a matchup of right-handers, the Reds will go with Brady Singer.

Despite the Pirates having already played the Reds six times this season, Skenes (6-8, 2.02 ERA) has yet to face Cincinnati this year. Skenes went 3-0 with a 0.53 ERA in three starts against the Reds as a rookie last year, allowing only one run in 17 innings while striking out 25 and walking two.

Skenes once again finds himself trying to put the Pirates back on track, as they have lost four of their past six games.

Meanwhile, Skenes appears to be gaining momentum toward another significant milestone in his young major league career.

The LSU product, who is holding opposing batters to a .187 batting average and whose ERA leads all qualified starters, entered August as the prohibitive favorite to claim his first Cy Young Award in only his second season.

However, Skenes can’t afford to have many more performances like his most recent outing, when he allowed four runs on five hits over five-plus innings despite striking out eight on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. The four runs were the most he had allowed since June 25 and equaled his second-highest total of the season.

The Pirates could use a vintage Skenes start on Thursday to give their bullpen a respite after the relievers covered a combined 16 2/3 innings over the past three days.

“The bullpen has been taxed,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said after the team’s 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in the decisive game of a three-game series. “They’ve thrown a lot of innings and done a good job keeping us in games and giving us a chance to win games.”

Singer (9-8, 4.36 ERA) will face the Pirates for the third time this season as he tries to help the Reds bounce back from a 6-1 loss at the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Cincinnati, which is battling to remain in the NL wild-card race, had been shooting for a three-game sweep.

Singer went 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his previous two starts this season against the Pirates. He tossed five innings of three-run ball in a home win on April 11, then permitted two runs in five innings during a road loss on May 21.

Singer is coming off back-to-back wins and two of his best starts of the season.

After fanning eight while firing 7 1/3 innings and allowing one run to the Tampa Bay Rays on July 27, he threw six shutout innings against Atlanta on Friday. He limited the visiting Braves to four hits and one walk while striking out 10 in a 3-2 victory.

“After the All-Star break, it’s time to go,” Singer said after his most recent start. “And, yeah, we just keep putting together series wins and keep winning games and giving us a chance to win.

“We’re gonna be there. We just got to get there to start. This team’s awesome. I love coming to work with them every day.”

–Field Level Media

When the Seattle Mariners acquired Josh Naylor a week before the trade deadline, they knew they were getting a first baseman with a good bat and a solid glove.

However, they couldn’t have expected what the 5-foot-10, 235-pound Naylor would do on the basepaths.

Naylor homered and stole two bases for the second consecutive night as the Mariners defeated the visiting Chicago White Sox 8-6 on Wednesday.

Seattle will attempt to sweep the three-game series on Thursday afternoon.

In 12 games with the Mariners, Naylor has three homers and is 10-for-10 on stolen-base attempts.

“He’s a really smart player, a real heady player, a really focused player,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Any advantage he can find, he’s going to take advantage of it.”

At his current pace with Seattle, Naylor would have 135 steals over a 162-game schedule. Rickey Henderson holds the modern major league record of 130, set in 1982.

“He does not look that fast, but he is always smart,” said third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who was Naylor’s teammate in Arizona before the two were reunited with the Mariners. “He knows when to go. He reads the pitcher. He knows what kind of pitch he might be throwing in that situation right there, and he (gets) a really good jump every time.”

Naylor is just happy to be with a contending team. The Mariners are 5-1 on their 10-game homestand — the lone loss was in extra innings against the Texas Rangers — and they currently hold the American League’s second wild-card spot.

“These guys are awesome here. I was welcomed with open arms and I’m super thankful for that,” Naylor said. “Everyone seemed very excited for me to be here. I’m excited to be here. … I love baseball. I love being a good teammate. I love playing hard. I love trying to make a difference on the field, any which way, whether defense, offense, baserunning.”

Julio Rodriguez added a three-run homer for the Mariners on Wednesday, and right-hander George Kirby won his third straight start after throwing six innings of two-run ball.

The White Sox, who trailed 7-1 after two innings, got homers from Mike Tauchman, Lenyn Sosa and Michael A. Taylor, but the rally came up short in their third straight defeat.

“To go down six early in the game there, you’ve got a choice,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “You can pack it in or fight, and our guys have always chosen to fight. It was great to see the continued effort, continued battle.”

The Thursday series finale is set to feature a pair of right-handers, White Sox rookie Shane Smith (3-7, 4.25 ERA) and the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert (3-4, 3.45).

Smith is winless in six starts since June 10. He was in line to get a victory on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., but was pulled due to control problems after 4 1/3 innings.

Smith took a no-decision against visiting Seattle on May 21, when he gave up three runs on two hits over five innings in a game the White Sox eventually lost 6-5.

Gilbert, the Mariners’ Opening Day starter, missed seven weeks this season with a right elbow flexor strain, his first time on the injured list in his career. He didn’t get a decision in Seattle’s 4-3 victory against Texas on Friday, when he allowed three runs on five hits over six innings.

Gilbert is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox.

–Field Level Media

The visiting Athletics and the Washington Nationals will play the decisive game of their series on Thursday after splitting two very different games.

The A’s pounded out 24 hits in a 16-7 win on Tuesday, but the Nationals bounced back in a pitching-dominated game on Wednesday, earning a 2-1 walk-off win.

Washington snapped a six-game losing streak. The A’s have lost three of four after winning seven of eight.

The A’s will send left-hander Jacob Lopez (4-6, 3.99 ERA) to face left-hander Mitchell Parker (7-11, 5.35) in the finale.

Lopez, a 27-year-old rookie, has tossed 9 1/3 scoreless innings over his past two starts. After lasting only 4 1/3 innings against the Houston Astros on July 26, he pitched five innings and permitted five hits en route to a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

“I thought it was a pretty good outing,” Lopez said. “Same thing as Houston, the offense got us an early lead, so the goal was just to keep that lead and give us as much as I could.”

Lopez has never faced the Nationals, and Parker has not opposed the Athletics.

After a pair of solid outings to finish July, Parker is looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season. The 25-year-old surrendered eight runs on 12 hits over four-plus innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

Parker, who sported a 1.39 ERA through his first five starts this year, has often been undone by one big inning. Against the Brewers, it was a five-run third.

“Got to figure out how he can keep his composure,” interim manager Miguel Cairo said. “He’s got to keep making pitches and keep positive. He’s got to keep his mind on what he’s got to do that inning, then just go from there.”

The Nationals got just enough in the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday, when CJ Abrams singled home Robert Hassell III with one out for the win.

Riley Adams hit a solo home run leading off the sixth inning to end a perfect-game bid by A’s starter Jeffrey Springs. Thirteen of Adams’ 25 hits this season have gone for extra bases (six doubles, seven home runs).

Jose A. Ferrer pitched a scoreless ninth and earned the win after being appointed the club’s new closer. Cairo made the announcement in the wake of a recent trade that sent Kyle Finnegan to the Detroit Tigers and a series of losses.

“That’s my closer right there,” Cairo said. “Now you get to see it. That was my closer right there.”

Hassell doubled leading off the ninth before scoring the winning run. He is 5-for-12 with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs in five games since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 1.

The Nationals welcomed back starter Cade Cavalli, who made his first major league appearance since his debut in August 2022. Returning from a lengthy rehab following Tommy John surgery, the right-hander allowed three hits over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out six.

Tyler Soderstrom homered for the A’s run, his 20th of the season, against left-handed reliever Konnor Pilkington.

“The slugging against lefties has been down this year for Tyler, so it was good to see him drive a ball out to right field,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “I thought his at-bats were good. Overall, to have that type of production, where you’ve got four guys with 20 homers says a lot about the slug in the lineup.”

–Field Level Media

Davis Schneider hit two of Toronto’s five home runs to back seven strong innings by Kevin Gausman as the Blue Jays routed the Colorado Rockies 20-1 on Thursday to complete a historic three-game sweep.

Toronto scored in double digits in all three games, finishing with 45 runs, 13 home runs and 63 hits in the series. The hit total was the highest for any team in a three-game set since 1900.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Ernie Clement also went deep for the Blue Jays, while Ty France reached base six times with four hits and twice being hit by a pitch. Clement and Guerrero added four hits apiece for Toronto, which posted a season-high run total for the second time in the series.

Gausman (8-8) yielded one run on three hits and two walks. He fanned eight and didn’t allow a runner past second base after the first inning.

Guardians 4, Mets 1

Gavin Williams was two outs away from Cleveland’s first no-hitter in 44 years before Juan Soto belted a solo homer, but the Guardians still completed a series sweep.

Williams (7-4) struck out six and walked four before he was removed after throwing 126 pitches over 8 2/3 innings. Hunter Gaddis recorded the final out for his second save of the season. David Fry and Angel Martinez homered for the Guardians, who have won seven of eight.

Mets left-hander David Peterson (7-5) allowed four runs and five hits in six innings.

Orioles 5, Phillies 1

Trevor Rogers logged six solid innings and Coby Mayo hit a three-run homer to guide visiting Baltimore over Philadelphia.

Rogers (5-2) struck out six while working around eight hits and a pair of walks for Baltimore, which had dropped the first two games of the series by a combined margin of 18-3. Mayo finished with two hits, as did teammate Adley Rutschman.

Ranger Suarez (8-5) allowed five runs and nine hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Phillies, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Trea Turner went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Giants 4, Pirates 2

Dominic Smith’s go-ahead RBI double in the ninth inning propelled San Francisco over host Pittsburgh.

Smith’s double followed a one-out double by Jung Hoo Lee off reliever Dennis Santana (3-4) and led to the Giants’ second consecutive victory over the Pirates, who have lost four of their past six.

Randy Walker (4-4) pitched a scoreless inning for the win, and Randy Rodriguez tossed a shutout ninth for his third save. The Pirates lost for only the fourth time this season in 41 games in which they led after seven innings.

Nationals 2, Athletics 1

CJ Abrams hit a walk-off single in the ninth inning as Washington ended a six-game losing streak with a win over the visiting Athletics.

Riley Adams homered for the Nationals, who had allowed 70 runs while losing their previous six games. Jose A. Ferrer (3-3) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for the win.

Tyler Soderstrom homered for the Athletics, who lost for the third time in four games. Jeffrey Springs wasn’t involved in the decision after firing six innings of one-run, one-hit ball.

Twins 9, Tigers 4

Luke Keaschall had two doubles and three RBIs, Thomas Hatch pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, and Minnesota topped host Detroit to win the series.

Alan Roden and Austin Martin homered to add insurance for the Twins in the eighth inning. Minnesota starting pitcher Pierson Ohl allowed four runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings, and Hatch (1-0) gave up two hits.

Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (6-11) surrendered six runs (five earned) and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry went deep in the loss.

Yankees 3, Rangers 2

Paul Goldschmidt’s pinch-hit solo home run in the seventh inning was the difference as New York salvaged the finale of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas. The Yankees snapped their five-game losing streak.

Mark Leiter Jr. (5-6) got the win in relief. David Bednar pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, overcoming a two-on, two-out situation in the ninth to earn his 18th save of the season.

Ezequiel Duran had three hits to lead the Rangers, who had an eight-game home winning streak snapped. Goldschmidt’s round-tripper came against Robert Garcia (1-7).

Cubs 6, Reds 1

Rookie Cade Horton threw 5 2/3 shutout innings to lift host Chicago over Cincinnati as Cubs avoided getting swept for the first time since March.

Horton (6-3) allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out six on 67 pitches. His 23 1/3 scoreless innings streak is the longest by a rookie in Cubs history. Chicago got homers from Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott (8-2), who was 2-0 against the Cubs this season, went 6 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and four runs.

Rays 5, Angels 4

Christopher Morel hit a go-ahead home run to lead off the seventh inning and Junior Caminero homered twice as Tampa Bay beat Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.

Garrett Cleavinger (1-4) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief, and Pete Fairbanks pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his 19th save.

The Angels’ Mike Trout hit a three-run homer, the 398th of his career, moving him into a tie with Dale Murphy for 61st place on the all-time homer list.

Cardinals 5, Dodgers 3

Jordan Walker hit a game-tying single in the eighth inning and Masyn Winn scored the go-ahead run on an error as St. Louis rallied for a win over host Los Angeles to earn its second series win over the National League West leaders.

Brendan Donovan had two hits and drove in a run while Lars Nootbaar was 1-for-5 with two RBIs for the Cardinals. JoJo Romero (4-4) pitched one scoreless inning to log the win, and Riley O’Brien got the last four outs for his first save.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani collected the 1,000th hit of his career with a third-inning homer, his 39th of the season. He also struck out eight batters over four innings on the mound while surrendering one run.

Marlins 6, Astros 4

Xavier Edwards connected on four hits and Heriberto Hernandez homered and drove in two runs as Miami defeated visiting Houston.

The Marlins produced 14 hits, stole four bases, made no errors and had several fielding gems. Janson Junk (6-2) went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Lake Bachar pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second career save.

The Astros, who were looking to finish off a three-game sweep, got a two-run homer from Christian Walker. Spencer Arrighetti (1-2) yielded 11 hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings during his first appearance since April 5. He had been sidelined by a broken thumb.

Royals 7, Red Sox 3

Kansas City put up a pair of crooked numbers as they overcame an early two-run deficit and beat Boston to salvage the finale of a three-game series.

Jonathan India hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning and had two hits and two runs to pace the Royals’ offense. Michael Wacha (6-9) threw six innings of two-run ball against his former team.

Romy Gonzalez had two doubles and two RBIs for the Red Sox. Dustin May (6-8), making his first appearance for Boston, gave up three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Brewers 5, Braves 4

Andrew Vaughn and Blake Perkins hit home runs to support the solid effort of starter Jose Quintana and help visiting Milwaukee beat Atlanta, completing a three-game sweep.

Vaughn went 2-for-4 with a solo homer while Perkins finished 3-for-5 with a two-run shot for the the Brewers, who have won six in a row. Quintana (9-4) pitched six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. Trevor Megill surrendered a homer to Michael Harris II in the ninth but still earned his 26th save.

Braves starter Spencer Strider (5-9) gave up five runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Jurickson Profar also homered for Atlanta.

Mariners 8, White Sox 6

Josh Naylor and Julio Rodriguez homered and George Kirby pitched six quality innings as Seattle defeated Chicago to improve to 5-1 on a 10-game homestand.

Naylor hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Rodriguez added a three-run blast in a five-run second as the Mariners built a 7-1 lead. Kirby (7-5) allowed two runs while striking out nine. Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his 26th save.

Mike Tauchman, Lenyn Sosa and Michael A. Taylor homered for White Sox, who took their third straight loss. Chicago starter Jonathan Cannon (4-9) permitted seven runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings

Padres 3, Diamondbacks 2

Ryan O’Hearn tied the game with a leadoff homer in the ninth inning, Jose Iglesias singled in the go-ahead run, and San Diego beat Arizona in the decisive game of a three-game series at Phoenix.

O’Hearn went deep off Kyle Backhus (0-2), his first homer since being acquired by San Diego at the trade deadline. Freddy Fermin had three hits for the Padres, who have won nine of 11.

San Diego reliever Adrian Morejon (9-4) threw two shutout innings, and Mason Miller fanned three in the ninth for his first save with his new team, his 21st overall. Corbin Carroll hit a 443-foot homer in the first inning for the Diamondbacks.

–Field Level Media

Josh Naylor and Julio Rodriguez homered and George Kirby pitched six quality innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Chicago White Sox 8-6 on Wednesday.

Naylor hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Rodriguez added a three-run blast in a five-run second as the Mariners built an early 7-1 lead. Seattle improved to 5-1 on its 10-game homestand and will try to sweep the three-game series with the White Sox on Thursday afternoon.

Mike Tauchman, Lenyn Sosa and Michael A. Taylor homered for Chicago, which took its third straight loss after winning 10 of its first 14 after the All-Star break.

Kirby (7-5) allowed two runs on five hits to win his third straight start and improve to 6-1 in his past seven outings. The right-hander walked two and struck out nine.

Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his 26th save.

White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon (4-9) lasted just 1 2/3 innings. The righty gave up seven runs on four hits, walked three and fanned one.

Naylor hit a 450-foot shot into the second deck in right field in the first after Cal Raleigh drew a walk.

The White Sox got a run back in the second after Luis Robert Jr. singled, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Raleigh. Curtis Mead lined a run-scoring single to right.

In the bottom of the inning, a J.P. Crawford single was sandwiched by walks to Dominic Canzone and Randy Arozarena to load the bases for Raleigh, who lined a two-run single to right. Rodriguez followed with a 434-foot blast high off the out-of-town scoreboard beyond the Mariners’ bullpen in left-center.

Chicago’s Brooks Baldwin led off the third with a single and took second on a wild pitch. He scored on Andrew Benintendi’s one-out single to right to make it 7-2.

The score stayed that way until the seventh, when Taylor greeted reliever Eduard Bazardo with a leadoff double. An out later, Tauchman and Sosa hit back-to-back homers, both to center, to pull the White Sox within 7-5.

The Mariners responded in the bottom of the frame as a one-out walk to Rodriguez was followed by a single from Naylor and Eugenio Suarez’s sacrifice fly to center.

Taylor went deep to right-center off Munoz leading off the ninth for the game’s final run.

–Field Level Media