Eduardo Rodriguez threw eight scoreless innings, and Gabriel Moreno hit a go-ahead two-run home run to propel the Arizona Diamondbacks to a potentially crucial 3-0 shutout of the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon.

Arizona won two of three against Pittsburgh and are tied for second in the National League wild-card race. The Diamondbacks also secured the season tiebreaker against the Pirates, who are one of multiple teams in contention for a postseason berth.

The Pirates went 2-4 over their past six games at home against the Chicago Cubs and Diamondbacks, who are two of those contending teams.

Rodriguez (10-3) continues to pitch well in his first All-Star season, allowing five hits and one walk. Rodriguez struck out only two after throwing 105 pitches, but the left-hander kept Pittsburgh’s potent lineup in check with eight groundball outs, and he did not allow an extra-base hit.

It was Rodriguez’s longest start since May 10 when he pitched 8 1/3 innings against the visiting New York Mets, and only the second time he threw eight or more innings this season.

Diamondbacks starters were sharp throughout the series, not allowing an earned run in a combined 20 2/3 innings.

Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-2) delivered a quality start and retired the first nine batters he faced.

Corbin Carroll broke that up with a double to lead off the fourth inning. Moreno followed one out later by blasting a two-run homer to center for his eighth of the season.

Moreno also scored the Diamondbacks’ third run in the sixth inning after he walked with two outs, moved to third on Ketel Marte’s single and scored when Max Kepler laced a single to right field off Jones.

Jones gave up four hits overall, walked two and struck out five on 77 pitches. Kepler finished with two of the Diamondback’s six hits. Jared Triolo had two hits of the Pirates’ five hits.

Brandyn Garcia picked up his second save for Arizona, after striking out two and working around a walk in the ninth.

The Pirates optioned infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan, left-hander Brandon Eisert and right-hander Isaac Mattson to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled left-hander Hunter Barco, right-hander Noah Murdock and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.

–Field Level Media

The Cleveland Browns are signing safety Grant Delpit to a three-year, $48 million contract extension that includes $35 million in guaranteed money, ESPN and NFL Network reported on Wednesday.

Delpit, 27, was entering the last year of a three-year, $36 million extension signed in 2023 that has no more guaranteed salary. He now will be under contract through the 2029 season.

The Browns, who traded reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams last month, have reportedly over the last two days extended the contracts of Delpit and cornerback Denzel Ward, their two longest-tenured players.

Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Ward agreed on a two-year, $62.2 million contract extension that includes $52.3 million guaranteed, ESPN and NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

Ward, 29, had two years left on a five-year, $100.5 million contract extension signed in 2022, though it includes no further guaranteed money. He will earn $31.1 million annually, making him the highest-paid defensive back in league history for the second time in his career.

Cleveland selected Delpit in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU.

Delpit totaled 89 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, one interception, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 17 games (16 starts) last season.

For his career, Delpit has 451 tackles, seven interceptions, 6.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, 21 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in 78 games (68 starts) since 2021.

–Field Level Media

Carson Benge had two hits Wednesday afternoon, including the go-ahead run-scoring double in the seventh inning, as the host New York Mets edged the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in the first game of a split doubleheader.

A.J. Ewing and Francisco Lindor walked against Dylan Dodd (1-1) and Ewing moved to third on Bo Bichette’s flyout before he scored on Benge’s double.

Benge was the lone player with multiple hits for the Mets, who have won three consecutive games. New York scored twice in the fifth, when Francisco Alvarez ripped an RBI double and Ewing lofted a sacrifice fly.

Ewing singled and stole two bases while Jared Young and Brett Baty added a hit apiece.

Huascar Brazoban, the second of four Mets pitchers, tossed a 1-2-3 seventh. Luke Weaver worked around a single in the eighth and Devin Williams earned his 15th save in the ninth, when he gave up a two-out single to Mauricio Dubon before whiffing Austin Riley.

Starter Sean Manaea allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings.

Matt Olson had a two-run homer in the sixth for the Braves, who have lost three of four. Eli White and Drake Baldwin collected two hits apiece.

Atlanta’s AJ Smith-Shawver finished his comeback from Tommy John surgery by giving up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four over 4 1/3 innings. Smith-Shawver underwent the operation June 9, 2025, 11 days after he was injured while pitching against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets took a short-lived lead in the bottom of the fifth,. Tyrone Taylor worked a leadoff walk against Smith-Shawver and moved to third on Baty’s single before trotting home on Alvarez’s double. Baty came home on Ewing’s sacrifice fly, which ended Smith-Shawver’s afternoon.

The Braved immediately rallied in the sixth, when Baldwin hit a leadoff double before Olson homered.

–Field Level Media