Reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes was solid in his spring training debut on Saturday, striking out four over three innings to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-2 win over the host Baltimore Orioles in a Grapefruit League game at Sarasota, Fla.
The 22-year-old Skenes, who went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts over 133 innings last season, gave up one run on four hits with one walk against the Orioles, reaching 99 mph throughout the outing.
Of his 53 pitches, Skenes threw 30 strikes. He left the game trailing 1-0 but the Pirates scored two in the fourth then won it with a three-run top of the ninth.
Orioles starter Cade Povich, 24, had more impressive numbers, striking out six with a walk and a hit in three scoreless innings.
Yankees 9, Astros 3
Aaron Judge made his spring debut and delivered a two-run single in a 1-for-2 performance as host New York topped Houston 9-3 in Tampa, Fla.
Also making his spring debut was DJ LeMahieu — at designated hitter although he is expected to be an option at third base — but his day didn’t go as well. He injured his left calf in the second inning, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he could miss time.
George Lombard Jr., at 19 the youngest player at Yankees camp, homered in his first at-bat of the day.
Mets 10, Rays 1
Right-hander Blade Tidwell, one of New York’s top pitching prospects, struck out five batters in two perfect innings and ended his day with an immaculate second inning as the Mets hammered host Tampa Bay in Port Charlotte, Fla.
After getting Yandy Diaz to fly out to center to open the bottom of the first, Tidwell struck out five in a row. Dom Hamel picked up for Tidwell and pitched two more hitless innings. The Rays didn’t get a hit until the sixth.
Jose Siri opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the third inning to lead the Mets’ attack.
Tigers 1, Phillies 0
Six Detroit pitchers combined to hold visiting Philadelphia to one hit, and former Yankees player Gleyber Torres drove in the game’s only run with a third-inning single in Lakeland, Fla.
Right-hander Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, started the game for the Tigers and struck out two with one walk over three innings.
Keider Montero relieved Mize and struck out four over two innings. Phillies starter Aaron Nola threw two scoreless innings with one hit and two strikeouts.
Red Sox 8, Twins 4
Ceddanne Rafaela went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Connor Wong hit his first home run of the spring as host Boston doubled up Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Trevor Story added two hits in three at-bats and recent acquisition Alex Bregman collected his fifth RBI of the spring.
Ty France reached base three times, scored a run, drove in a run and stole a base for Minnesota.
Cardinals 3, Nationals (ss) 2
Thomas Saggese drove in pinch runner Dakota Harris in the bottom of the ninth to give St. Louis the win over Washington in Jupiter, Fla.
Josh Bell’s two-run homer to center in the first opened the scoring but was all of the offense the Nationals could muster, getting held to six hits.
Seven Washington pitchers held St. Louis to five hits, with starter Michael Soroka — who pitched in only 10 games from 2020-23 because of injuries — tossing three hitless innings with three strikeouts and a walk.
Blue Jays 1, Braves 1
Shortstop Luke Williams hit a tying home run in the seventh inning for Atlanta and the bullpens combined to give up one hit the rest of the way as the host Braves played Toronto to a draw in North Port, Fla.
The Blue Jays’ run came by way of a fielder’s choice groundout by Rainer Nunez in the fifth.
Atlanta starter Dylan Lee gave up two hits and struck out two, while Toronto’s Jacob Barnes walked one in one hitless inning in his start.
Nationals (ss) 7, Marlins 0
Top Washington prospect Dylan Crews collected a pair of run-scoring singles and scored on catcher Riley Adams’ third-inning grand slam as Washington hammered visiting Miami in a split-squad game in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Lefty starter Mackenzie Gore pitched three scoreless innings with two hits, a walk and four strikeouts for Washington.
Righty Eduardo Salazar followed that up with two more scoreless innings and four more strikeouts as the Nationals fanned 11 Marlins.
Cubs (ss) 7, Guardians 4
Starter Colin Rea pitched three scoreless innings and Seiya Suzuki drove in three runs on two singles as Chicago’s split squad downed visiting Cleveland in Mesa, Ariz.
The Cubs led 6-0 after a pair of runs in each of the first two innings and single runs in the fifth and sixth. Rea (1-0) allowed one hit with two strikeouts and two walks. Suzuki went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Carlos Perez homered.
The Guardians had only six hits, but two were homers from Juan Brito and Yordys Valdes. Starter Joey Cantillo (0-1) allowed four runs, four walks and three hits with two strikeouts in one inning.
Reds 7, Padres 3
Cincinnati rode a five-run sixth inning and its pitchers overcame three errors in beating visiting San Diego in Goodyear, Ariz.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered in the second inning for the Reds, who trailed 2-1 until their half of the sixth. They had four hits, including back-to-back doubles from Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz to lead off against Austin Davis (0-2). Encarnacion-Strand hit a sacrifice fly and Ivan Johnson delivered a two-run single.
David Morgan entered in relief and threw a wild pitch to bring in the fifth run. Cincinnati reliever Ian Gibaut (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning of relief, and Alan Busenitz retired the last batter for his first save.
Dodgers 6, Giants 5
Aaron Bracho hit a 398-foot home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide the difference as host Los Angeles edged San Francisco in Phoenix, Ariz.
Chris Campos (1-0) pitched the last two innings for the Dodgers, allowing one hit and no runs or walks with three strikeouts. Freddie Freeman and South Korean rookie Hyeseong Kim each recorded their first homers of the spring for Los Angeles.
The Giants led 2-0 in the third and then 5-4 in the seventh on Jerar Encarnacion’s homer. Justin Garza (0-1) took the loss after entering in the eighth and yielding Bracho’s first homer of the spring.
Angels 5, Athletics 0
Los Angeles totaled just two hits but found other ways to score in a shutout of the visiting Athletics in Tempe, Ariz.
Five Angels pitchers limited the Athletics to four hits, including Max Schuemann’s double to lead off the game. Los Angeles starter Kyle Hendricks (2-0) stayed in control, allowing two hits and no walks with three strikeouts in three innings.
The Angels scored on bases-loaded walks to Mike Trout and Mickey Moniak as well as Jo Adell’s sacrifice fly in the third. Yolmer Sanchez stole home in the fifth, and David Mershon hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Athletics starter Osvaldo Bido (0-1), who was charged with the three runs in the third, took the loss.
White Sox 18, Mariners 9
Chicago collected 17 hits, including four home runs, to double up host Seattle in an offensive showcase in Peoria, Ariz.
The White Sox pushed across eight runs in the third and six in the seventh. Luis Robert Jr. (2-for-4, three RBIs), Adam Hackenburg (2-for-2, two RBIs), Andre Lipcius (two RBIs) and Brandon Drury (three RBIs) each homered. Chicago starter Shane Smith (1-1) pitched two perfect innings and fanned three batters.
Seattle used 11 pitchers, including starter Emerson Hancock (0-1), who allowed two hits, two runs and one walk with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Blake Hunt and Lazaro Montes homered among the Mariners’ 13 hits.
Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 4
Eugenio Suarez slammed a three-run homer 444 feet in the first inning to give host Diamondbacks a fast start to doubling up Colorado in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Alek Thomas hit a one-out single and Josh Naylor grounded into a fielder’s choice before Suarez brought them home against Chase Dollander (0-1). The Colorado starter lasted three innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
A.J. Vukovich homered off Dollander in the second inning, and Ildemaro Vargas homered in the sixth. Arizona starter Zac Gallen (1-0) allowed two hits and no walks with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
Brewers 9, Rangers 4
Rhys Hoskins homered twice, Brice Turang hit a three-run shot in the first inning and William Contreras and Joey Ortiz also went deep for host Milwaukee against Texas in Phoenix.
Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, returning from back surgery, played his first game since July 23, 2024. Yelich, 33, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and one RBI on a groundout in the fourth.
Milwaukee out-hit the Rangers 11-10 but produced more runs with power from Hoskins (3-for-3, three runs, two RBIs), Contreras (2-for-3, one run, two RBIs), Turang and Ortiz. Starter Tobias Myers (1-0) yielded one hit with strikeout in one inning.
Rangers starter Kumar Rocker (0-2) was touched up for four runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout in one inning. Dustin Harris hit a two-run homer for Texas.
Cubs (ss) 11, Royals 1
Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in four runs, including a solo homer, and Moises Ballesteros also went deep as Chicago’s split squad bullied host Kansas City in Surprise, Ariz.
The Cubs totaled 13 hits, with Crow-Armstrong going 2-for-4. He also had an RBI sacrifice fly and a two-run double. Michael Busch was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, and Ben Cowles and Nicky Lopez had two hits apiece.
Chicago starter Ben Brown (1-0) allowed four hits, one run and one walk with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Royals starter Cole Ragans (0-1) was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts and two homers allowed in 2 1/3 innings.
