Paul Skenes got the best of a pitching showdown with nine strikeouts over 6⅓ scoreless innings and the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates opened a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 3-0 victory.
Oneil Cruz hit an RBI single and scored in a two-run fifth inning as the Pirates improved to 3-1 on a six-game road trip that started with a series victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Skenes (3-2) gave up five hits with no walks on a career-high 108 pitches as he outdueled Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who entered on an 18-inning scoreless streak.
