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Pirates ace Paul Skenes sizes up Astros, Spencer Arrighetti

May 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesMay 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Following a brief stint on the restricted list, Pittsburgh right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski was available out of the bullpen on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game interleague series against the host Houston Astros.

Mlodzinski did not appear in the Pirates’ 10-6 victory, as right-hander Wilber Dotel worked three hitless innings in relief of starter Bubba Chandler. The issue that resulted in Mlodzinski being placed on the restricted list on Sunday — a reluctance to work out of the bullpen, according to reports — has been resolved.

Mlodzinski is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two relief appearances and 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA in nine starts.

“He’s a fierce competitor, and he’s fully committed to the team, to help us win in any way,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “To come out of the pen, it’s going to be huge for us to have him out there doing what he does.”

Staff ace Paul Skenes (6-5, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Pirates on Wednesday.

The right-hander allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home loss to the Chicago Cubs last Thursday. That marked the third consecutive losing decision for Skenes, who has a 5.87 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings during that stretch.

Skenes is 0-1 with a 1.29 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. In his most recent appearance against Houston on June 3, 2025, Skenes allowed one run on three hits and one walk with eight strikeouts across eight innings in a 3-0 home loss.

Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (7-1, 1.34) has the starting assignment for the Astros.

Arrighetti allowed one run on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts across six innings in a 5-1 road win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday. He went 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA in five starts last month. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of eight starts this season, including six in succession.

Arrighetti will make his first career appearance against the Pirates. He is 6-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 15 career interleague starts.

After opening the season as the odd pitcher out in a crowded rotation, Arrighetti has emerged as the staff ace. He began the season with Triple-A Sugar Land and arrived in Houston on April 15 only after a spate of injuries to starters opened the door for his promotion. With ace Hunter Brown (right shoulder strain) on the injured list since April 2, Arrighetti has filled in admirably.

With only 47 innings on his ledger, Arrighetti isn’t yet in a position to qualify for the ERA title. But he is in the mix for AL Pitcher of the Month honors for May, and his performance thus far makes his matchup against Skenes, the 2025 National League Cy Young winner, one worthy of hype.

“I’m excited to watch Spencer go out there and compete and get us the first win of this series,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s been really, really good for us.

“We have one of the hottest guys in the American League on the mound for us. So, it should be good.”

–Field Level Media

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Reds rally late, walk off with 10-inning win over Royals

inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning.inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning.

Blake Dunn’s RBI single in the 10th inning completed a comeback and gave the host Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Spencer Steer hit two home runs and scored the winning run as the automatic runner for the Reds, who won for the second time in the last six games.

Will Benson’s pinch-hit home run to right field off Royals closer Lucas Erceg leading off the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 3-all.

Dunn’s game-winning hit, off John Schreiber (0-3), was the only Reds’ hit that was not a home run.

Brock Burke (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless 10th.

The loss spoiled a gem by Royals starter Noah Cameron, who retired 20 of the 21 batters he faced. Kansas City has lost seven of its last eight.

Cameron only allowed Steer’s first homer, did not walk a batter and struck out eight.

Steer’s second home run of the game, a drive to right-center leading off the eighth, pulled Cincinnati to within 3-2. His ninth homer was an opposite field drive into the stands in right-center.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott gave up three runs on five hits in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts.

Steer’s first home run of the game, a shot to left-center, came with one out in the fifth after Cameron had retired the first 13 Cincinnati batters.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice groundout with the bases loaded by Jac Caglianone and a bases-loaded, two-run, two-out single by Michael Massey.

Cameron made an outstanding defensive play for the first out of the third on Dunn’s attempt for a bunt single. Dunn bunted the ball between the mound and first, and Cameron, in one motion, picked up the ball with a backhand swipe and flipped it out of his glove first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

Reds center fielder Dane Myers made a leaping catch at the wall on Starling Marte’s long drive for the second out of the fifth.

–Field Level Media

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Twins prevail over White Sox; halt Davis Martin's 6-game win streak

Jun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn ImagesJun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

Tristan Gray went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

Luke Keaschall added a pair of hits and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which secured a series victory. Alex Jackson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Chicago at the plate. The White Sox have dropped back-to-back games after winning their previous five in a row.

Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (8-2) endured his shortest outing of the season. Martin gave up six runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and he suffered his first setback since April 10.

Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez got the final four outs to record his fourth save.

The White Sox opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third.

Luisangel Acuna started the action when he drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a throwing error by Jackson. The White Sox had runners on second and third with one out later in the inning, and Vargas delivered with a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.

The hit gave Vargas six RBIs in the first two games of the series.

The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Brooks Lee hit a sacrifice fly to left, plating Gray.

Minnesota added four runs in the fourth to seize a 5-3 lead.

Keaschall started the scoring with an RBI single to left. Gray followed with a two-run single to left, and Jackson capped the outburst with an RBI single to right.

Gray, who hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the series opener, has 11 RBIs in his past five games.

The Twins increased their lead to 6-3 on another RBI single by Keaschall in the fifth.

Chase Meidroth notched an RBI infield single in the seventh to cut Chicago’s deficit to 6-4. But he fanned to end the eighth with two runners on base.

–Field Level Media

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Rookie Gage Jump, Athletics shut down slumping Cubs

Jun 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Athletics third baseman Zack Gelof (20) reacts after hitting an RBI-single against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesJun 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Athletics third baseman Zack Gelof (20) reacts after hitting an RBI-single against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Gage Jump pitched seven stellar innings in his second big league start and Zack Gelof had the decisive tiebreaking single to lift the Athletics to a 2-1 victory over the host Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

Jump (1-1) allowed one run and three hits and retired the final 14 batters he faced in an 85-pitch effort. Jump struck out five and walked one.

Nick Kurtz homered to help the Athletics win for just the third time in the past 10 games.

Justin Sterner pitched a perfect eighth inning and Hogan Harris replaced an ineffective Scott Barlow to record the final out for his fifth save.

Before Harris retired the final batter, Barlow encountered troubles in the ninth as Nico Horner led off with a walk and Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with a single, Chicago’s first hit since the second inning. Barlow then struck out Alex Bregman and retired Seiya Suzuki before being pulled.

The left-handed Harris came in, forcing the switch-hitting Happ to bat right-handed. Harris retired Happ on a fly to center to end it.

Bregman had the lone RBI for the slumping Cubs, who lost for the 13th time in their past 16 games.

Jameson Taillon (2-5) gave up two runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Taillon has allowed nine homers over his past four outings.

The A’s took the 2-1 lead in the fourth when Brent Rooker and Henry Bolte hit consecutive one-out singles to put runners on first and second. One out later, Gelof lined a single up the middle over the leap of Chicago second baseman Hoerner and into center to score Rooker.

Jump didn’t start great by giving up singles to Hoerner and Crow-Armstrong in the bottom of the first. Crow-Armstrong proceeded to steal second.

Bregman’s infield grounder scored Hoerner. But the uprising was short-circuited when A’s catcher Shea Langeliers gunned out Crow-Armstrong trying to steal third. Jump then struck out Suzuki to end the inning.

In the second, Jump hit Happ with a pitch and allowed a one-out single to Michael Busch, the Cubs’ final hit off the 23-year-old Gage. The inning ended when Langeliers threw out Kevin Alcantara trying to steal second with runners at the corner.

The Athletics tied the game in the third when Kurtz came up with two outs and smacked an 0-1 sweeper from Taillon over the wall in left-center.

–Field Level Media

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