Oneil Cruz hit a two-run home run, Brandon Lowe went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Tampa Bay 5-1 to snap the Ray\u2019s six-game win streak<\/p>\n
PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz hit a two-run home run, Brandon Lowe went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Tampa Bay 5-1 on Friday night to snap the Ray’s six-game win streak. <\/p>\n
Bubba Chandler (1-1) allowed a run and three hits over six innings. Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. <\/p>\n
Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Horwitz each had three hits. <\/p>\n
Ozuna led off the second inning with a single and opened the scoring when Horwitz doubled. Konnor Griffin followed with a single, but left fielder Chandler Simpson’s throw home, though off line, gave catcher Nick Fortes enough time to apply the tag as Horwitz tried to score from second. <\/p>\n
The Pirates have outscored their opponents 23-1 in the second inning this season, the best run differential in any inning by an MLB team this season. Pittsburgh\u2019s best run differential during any inning in 2025 was a plus-19 (71-52), also in the second inning.<\/p>\n
Rays starter Nick Martinez (0-1), who went winless with a 2.41 ERA in his first four starts this season, gave up two runs in 5 1\/3 innings. He allowed eight hits, walked three and had three strikeouts. <\/p>\n
Simpson singled with two out, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Chandler and scored the Rays’ only run when Junior Caminero singled. <\/p>\n
Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes received his 2025 National League Cy Young award, which was presented by Doug Drabek, before the game. Skenes had a major league-best 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts in 187 2\/3 innings last season. Skenes, Drabek (1990) and Vernon Law (1960) are the only Pirates players to win the award.<\/p>\n
Skenes (3-1, 4.00 ERA) is set to start Saturday against Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 1.13) in the second of a three-game series.<\/p>\n
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