Ashcraft strikes out 11 and Pirates get HRs from O'Hearn and Gonzales to sweep skidding Twins, 9-3

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft delivers against the Minnesota Twins in th first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Spencer Horwitz, right, watches his double off Minnesota Twins pitcher Zebby Matthews in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar) CORRECTION: Corrects to Pirates' Spencer Horwitz not Nick Gonzales. — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft delivers against the Minnesota Twins in th first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

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1:47 PM on Sunday, May 31

The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft struck out 11 in six innings, Ryan O’Hearn and Nick Gonzales homered, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the skidding Minnesota Twins 9-3 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Ashcraft (5-2) allowed two runs and five hits with no walks, sending the Twins to their fifth straight defeat.

Brooks Lee had a two-run homer in the sixth and a solo shot in the ninth for Minnesota.

O’Hearn returned from the injured list and hit a leadoff homer in the second his first time up. Jared Triolo singled in Oneil Cruz to make it 2-0.

Gonzales' two-run homer in the third extended the margin to 4-0.

Mike Paredes replaced Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews (1-3) with one out and runners on second and third in the fifth. Gonzales and Cruz drew back-to-back walks, the latter of which scored Brandon Lowe, and Henry Davis hit a two-run single that capped the Pirates' five-run inning and made it 9-0.

Matthews gave up seven runs and struck out seven in 4 1/3 innings.

Josh Bell had two hits for Minnesota.

Up next

Twins RHP Joe Ryan (3-3, 2.94 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Monday in the opener of a series against the Chicago White Sox, who hadn't announced a scheduled starter.

Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (1-6, 4.85 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday against Astros RHP Mike Burrows (3-6, 5.40) to open a three-game set in Houston.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb