PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes’ eight strikeouts and some late defensive miscues by the Blue Jays were enough to get the Pirates back in the win column after a rough road trip, as they beat Toronto at PNC Park on Monday, 5-2.
Skenes’ only hiccups came in the third inning, when Bo Bichette gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead with an RBI single. Pittsburgh's ace leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 51 times in his 96-pitch outing and using it to account for four of his strikeouts.
It marked the 21st time in Skenes’ 26 starts that he allowed two earned runs or fewer.
An RBI fielder's choice from Bryan Reynolds in the home half of the third tied the game, and the Pirates took the lead in the seventh when Henry Davis scored on a wild pitch. The Pirates tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth on a throwing error by Tyler Heineman and a sacrifice fly by Davis.
Evan Sisk picked up his first Major League win after tossing a perfect seventh inning, and Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless ninith for his eighth save of the season.
The Pirates will try to take the series on Tuesday, when Mitch Keller (5-11, 4.13 ERA) takes on Max Scherzer (3-2, 3.83). First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. ET.