BASEBALL: Spring training roundup - Braves work way past Pirates, Paul Skenes

The Atlanta Braves used timely hitting and strong pitching to secure a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday in North Port, Florida. Austin Riley delivered the decisive blow with a two-run home run in the third inning, breaking an early tie and lifting Atlanta past Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes.

Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, allowed one run on just one hit while striking out four over 2 1/3 innings in his spring debut. However, he struggled with control at times, issuing four walks and losing multiple strike calls due to the automated ball-strike system. Pittsburgh’s offense provided limited support, with Ryan O’Hearn driving in the lone run on a first-inning single.

Atlanta’s pitching staff combined for 13 strikeouts, highlighted by three from starter Bryce Elder in two innings of work. Jurickson Profar added an RBI double in the third to complement Riley’s home run.

Elsewhere in spring training action, the Baltimore Orioles rallied late to edge the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in Sarasota. Vance Honeycutt’s seventh-inning solo homer proved to be the game-winner after Baltimore erased a two-run deficit.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers played to a 4-4 tie in Lakeland, with Toronto capitalizing on defensive miscues in the ninth inning. Ernie Clement led the Blue Jays offensively, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

The Boston Red Sox built an early lead and held on to defeat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 in Fort Myers. Boston scored four runs in the third inning and relied on a nine-man pitching rotation to secure the win.

In Clearwater, the Philadelphia Phillies topped a split squad from Detroit 5-3. Otto Kemp homered while Bryce Harper recorded his first RBI of the spring. Javier Baez and Brett Callahan accounted for Detroit’s runs.

The Houston Astros defeated the Miami Marlins 4-1 in Jupiter, with all runs coming from extra-base hits. Taylor Trammell and Anthony Huezo each homered, while Hunter Brown threw two scoreless innings.

The St. Louis Cardinals shut out the New York Mets 6-0 behind Nolan Gorman’s three-run homer and a combined eight-hit shutout from seven pitchers.

In one of the day’s most dramatic games, the Milwaukee Brewers staged a seven-run comeback to defeat the San Francisco Giants 13-12 in Phoenix. Brice Turang led the charge with two home runs as Milwaukee rallied in the ninth inning.

The Cincinnati Reds edged the Chicago White Sox 3-2 in Glendale, powered by back-to-back home runs from Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday.

The San Diego Padres used late offense to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 in Peoria. Mason McCoy’s two-run double highlighted a decisive eighth inning.

The Texas Rangers cruised past the Cleveland Guardians 11-4 in Goodyear, with Aaron Zavala hitting two home runs to lead the offensive surge.

In Surprise, the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals settled for an 8-8 draw. Connor Joe’s late two-run homer tied the game, while Seattle collected 13 hits overall.

The Colorado Rockies powered past the Chicago Cubs 14-7 in Mesa, launching five home runs in a high-scoring contest.

Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers held off the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 in Scottsdale. Despite being outhit, Los Angeles capitalized on walks and defensive errors to build a decisive lead. -Field Level Media/Reuters