Jacob Misiorowski was scheduled to oppose fellow ace Paul Skenes and the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon, but the hard-throwing Milwaukee Brewers right-hander was scratched due to arm fatigue and will also miss the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.

Misiorowski, 24, told reporters that he will not be placed on the injured list and expects to rejoin the rotation following the All-Star break.

“It (stinks) to miss a start and the All-Star Game, but I know it’s the right thing to do in this situation,” Misiorowski said. “My arm is a little tired.”

Left-hander Robert Gasser will start in Misiorowski’s place Sunday as the Brewers try to salvage the finale of the three-game series.

Named an All-Star for the second straight season, Misiorowski is 10-4 in 18 starts, spanning 111 innings, and leads the majors with 167 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA while walking 27. In two seasons, he is 15-7 with a 2.64 ERA in 33 games (32 starts) with 254 strikeouts and 58 walks over 177 innings.

Misiorowski leads all starting pitchers this season with a 100.5 mph average four-seam fastball velocity, and he has thrown 670 pitches at 100 mph or faster — the most in the majors.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy made the announcement regarding Misiorowski’s status after Saturday’s doubleheader sweep by the Pirates.

“He didn’t recover well from his last start, and his throwing program was clunky today, so we’re just going to give him some extra rest,” Murphy said.

–Field Level Media

LaMonte Wade Jr. clubbed his first career grand slam in the third inning, the second of three homers hit by the visiting Houston Astros in their 9-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.

The Astros evened the three-game series and set the stage to close the gap to one game behind the Rangers in the American League West in the rubber match on Sunday. They did so with a power display against Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker, who continued to struggle at home.

Rocker (2-8) entered 0-5 with a 4.70 ERA in his last eight home starts dating back to April 26. Two batters into his 16th start of this season, he tumbled into a two-run deficit courtesy of Yordan Alvarez, who homered for the second time this series and the seventh time in six road games against the Rangers this season.

Alvarez followed a leadoff infield single by Jeremy Pena in the top of the first with a 425-foot blast to straightaway center field. Alvarez recorded his AL-leading 31st home run.

Rocker surrendered a double to Isaac Paredes after Alvarez homered, but then retired seven consecutive batters before Alvarez came to the plate with one out in the third. Alvarez keyed that four-run frame with a double, followed by a walk to Paredes. Jose Altuve loaded the bases with a two-out single before Wade popped a 1-1 slider 400 feet to right for a 6-0 lead.

Christian Vazquez led off the fourth with his fifth home run, a line drive that just cleared the wall in left-center. Rocker departed with two outs in the sixth inning before facing Alvarez a fourth time. He allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs.

Astros right-hander Peter Lambert (8-5) notched his sixth win in his last seven decisions and posted his sixth quality start. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings.

Ezequiel Duran socked his ninth home run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth for Texas.

The Astros tacked on two runs off Rangers reliever Chris Martin in the ninth. Duran homered again in the bottom of the ninth, a two-run shot to left off Astros reliever AJ Blubaugh.

–Field Level Media

Alex Bregman hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Saturday.

Carson Kelly added a solo shot and Michael Busch had three hits for Chicago, which won for the fourth time in its last six games.

Drew Pomeranz (2-3) pitched the sixth inning to record the win despite allowing a run on two hits. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb each tossed a scoreless frame before the Reds put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth against Ryan Rolison.

Elly De La Cruz stole second base before Trent Thornton got Sal Stewart to ground out to second for his third save.

Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Suarez and JJ Bleday each hit solo homers for Cincinnati, which has lost five of its last eight games.

With the score 3-3 and one out in the seventh, Seiya Suzuki drew a one-out walk off Julian Garcia (0-2) before Bregman followed with his eighth homer.

The Reds opened the scoring with one out in the fourth inning against Javier Assad on back-to-back homers by Lowe and Suarez.

Lowe’s 381-foot shot was his first homer and RBI since May 29. Suarez followed with his 10th homer, a 370-foot liner to right-center field.

Assad gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out four with no walks.

Chicago got on the board with a run in the fifth against Nick Lodolo. With two runners on and two outs, Miguel Amaya scored from second on Suzuki’s single.

Lodolo exited the game with a blister on his left index finger after allowing Kelly’s leadoff homer in the sixth inning. Lodolo was making his 12th start since beginning the season on the injured list with blister issues.

Caleb Ferguson entered and was greeted by a single from Busch, who came around to score on Ian Happ’s one-out double to left field.

Lodolo yielded two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts over five-plus innings.

Cincinnati pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on Bleday’s leadoff homer against Pomeranz. Bleday’s homer was his 16th this season and second in as many games.

–Field Level Media