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After ending skid, Pirates look to build on win against Cardinals

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh PiratesMay 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (35) delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

After ending a four-game skid on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now looking to take their midweek series against the Cardinals outright in the decisive game on Thursday in St. Louis.

Ivan Herrera’s walk-off three-run shot was the last of four Cardinals home runs in their 9-6, 10-inning win on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Pittsburgh won 7-0 to record its first shutout in St. Louis since a 5-0 win on April 13, 2023.

Konnor Griffin finished 4-for-5 with three runs, serving as the catalyst for the Pirates’ victory.

Griffin entered the season with a massive weight of expectation surrounding after being named MLB.com’s No. 1 prospect in the preseason. He struggled at the start, hitting .182 in his first 19 games.

On his 20th birthday on April 24, Griffin went 3-for-4 with his first career homer in Pittsburgh’s 6-0 win at Milwaukee. He hasn’t looked back, raising his batting average nearly 100 points to .278 in less than a month.

“Training this offseason, getting ready for moments like this and just being able to do it together, winning games, that’s all we want to do,” Griffin said, according to MLB.com.

Teammate Jake Mangum said of Griffin, “I’m proud of Konnor. He keeps playing good ball, and he’s going to be good for a long time for Pittsburgh. Everybody that pulls for the Pirates, pulls for the Pittsburgh community, they should be really happy that this guy’s going to be here for a long time.”

Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 3.09 ERA) will start for the Pirates on Thursday. The 26-year-old right-hander is approaching the one-year anniversary of his major league debut, when he came out of the bullpen to throw three shutout innings in the Pirates’ 5-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 26, 2025.

Ashcraft threw 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs in his latest start, Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He took a no-decision in a game Pittsburgh eventually lost 11-9 in 10 innings.

In two career starts against St. Louis, Ashcraft is 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA. He faced the Cardinals on April 28 and got a no-decision after yielding six runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Dustin May (3-4, 4.81 ERA) will take the ball for the Cardinals.

The 28-year-old right-hander didn’t factor in the decision in his latest start, a game St. Louis won 5-4 in 11 innings over the Kansas City Royals on Friday. He allowed three runs on four hits in six frames, walking four and striking out three. The result left him winless in his past four outings.

St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said of May’s work that day, “Overall, I felt like — especially early in that game — the fastball had really good life at the bottom of the zone and he was able to just overpower guys with it.”

May is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in his two lifetime starts against the Pirates. He wound up with a no-decision at Pittsburgh on April 27 after throwing six innings of two-run ball.

St. Louis first baseman Alec Burleson and right fielder Jordan Walker were both pulled late in the Wednesday loss after being hit by pitches, but Marmol stressed after the game that those were precautionary moves with the score out of hand.

Marmol said of Walker, “He wanted the at-bat if the game was any closer.”

–Field Level Media

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Rockies place RHP Victor Vodnik (elbow) on 15-day IL

MLB: Colorado Rockies at Houston AstrosApr 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Victor Vodnik (38) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies placed closer Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday because of inflammation of the right ulnar nerve, also known as the funny bone.

In a corresponding move, the Rockies selected the contract of right-hander Keegan Thompson from Triple-A Albuquerque. They also designated first baseman Blaine Crim for assignment to clear a spot for Thompson on the 40-man roster.

Vodnik, 26, last pitched on Monday, when he allowed three runs, one hit and two walks on 14 pitches while facing three batters in Colorado’s 7-6 home win over the Texas Rangers.

The right-hander is 1-2 with four saves, an 8.00 ERA, 13 walks and 16 strikeouts in 18 innings over 18 relief appearances (10 games finished).

For his major league career in parts of four seasons with Colorado, Vodnik is 11-9 with 23 saves, a 4.53 ERA, 79 walks and 142 strikeouts in 151 innings over 140 relief appearances. He had career bests of 10 saves and a 3.02 ERA last season.

The Rockies already had starting pitcher Chase Dollander and Ryan Feltner and reliever Jimmy Herget on the IL.

Thompson, 31, pitched in the majors for the Chicago Cubs from 2021-24 and compiled a 17-11 record with five saves, a 3.64 ERA, 111 walks and 225 strikeouts in 227 1/3 innings over 104 games (23 starts).

This season at Albuquerque, Thompson was 1-3 with a 3.34 ERA, 10 walks and 19 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over 11 games (five starts).

Crim, 28, who had not played in the majors this season, batted .200 with five home runs with 12 RBIs in a combined 20 games with the Texas Rangers and Colorado last season. He batted .265 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 36 games this year for Albuquerque.

–Field Level Media

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Brewers' Kyle Harrison dominates as Cubs shut out for fifth straight loss

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago CubsMay 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Kyle Harrison allowed two hits over seven shutout innings to help the visiting Milwaukee Brewers finish off the three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 5-0 win on Wednesday evening.

Harrison (5-1) struck out 11 and walked one while lowering his ERA to 1.77.

David Hamilton singled twice, tripled, scored two runs and drove in another in the No. 9 spot, and William Contreras also had three hits and scored a run for Milwaukee, which has won three in a row and six of seven. Left-hander DL Hall pitched two innings of no-hit ball to complete the shutout.

Edward Cabrera (3-2) started for the Cubs and allowed four runs and four hits in three innings before getting lifted one pitch into the fourth inning because of a blister on his right middle finger. The right-hander struck out two and walked two.

The Cubs have lost a season-high five in a row and nine of eleven after getting off to a 27-12 start.

The Brewers successfully challenged for catcher’s interference on Carson Kelly with one out in the second, putting Sal Frelick on base. Joey Ortiz then walked, bringing up Hamilton, who hit a hard single up the middle that Pete Crow-Armstrong charged, but the ball rolled under his glove and continued to the warning track, allowing all three runners to score for a 3-0 lead.

Contreras walked to lead off the third inning. He stole second, continued to third on a throwing error by Kelly and scored on Jake Bauers’ two-out single through the right side to make it 4-0.

With one out in the seventh, Hamilton tripled into the right field corner on a ball that went off the chest of right fielder Seiya Suzuki. Hamilton then scored on a wild pitch by Phil Maton to make it 5-0.

Harrison allowed a leadoff double into the left field corner by Nico Hoerner in the first. Hoerner tried to advance to third on deep fly to left-center and he was initially ruled safe, but Milwaukee challenged and the replay showed center fielder Garrett Mitchell’s throw was in time.

Harrison also walked Suzuki to start the second, but the 24-year-old left-hander retired the next 15 batters in a row before Alex Bregman singled to lead off the seventh. He was left stranded at first base.

–Field Level Media

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Blue Jays RHP Jose Berrios undergoes Tommy John surgery

MLB: Spring Training-Toronto Blue Jays at New York YankeesFeb 28, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios (17) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the second inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios will miss at least another year of action after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.

Dr. Keith Meister performed the procedure in Texas, beginning with the hope that only a minor removal of “loose bodies” in the elbow would be required. However, the ultimate diagnosis was that a full elbow ligament reconstruction was required.

“The bone in the elbow was on the ligament. Not ideal,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “We kind of decided that, when they go in there, if that’s compromised at all, we’ll fix it. It was. He’ll be down for 12 to 14 months.”

Berrios has been on the injured list all season while trying to work his way back from the elbow ailment that kept him off the team’s postseason roster last fall. He made four minor league rehab appearances in the past month, going 0-1 with a 10.67 ERA in Class-A and Triple-A. Most recently, his fastball velocity was lower than normal for Triple-A Buffalo.

The 31-year-old veteran had been an ever-present part of the Toronto rotation since the Blue Jays acquired him from the Minnesota Twins in a July 2021 trade. He made at least 30 starts in each of the past five seasons, though he was briefly moved to the bullpen last September before landing on the injured list.

“It’s weird not having him,” Schneider said. “We were looking for him to get back to normal, and he was hoping for that, too. It’s definitely weird and frustrating for him, too.”

Last year, Berrios went 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 games (30 starts).

A two-time All-Star, Berrios has a career 108-82 record and a 4.08 ERA in 275 games, including 273 starts, for Minnesota (2016-21) and Toronto (2021-25).

He has two years and $48 million remaining on the seven-year, $131 million extension he signed with the Blue Jays in November 2021.

–Field Level Media

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