Aug. 31, 2024 22:00 PM EST

Tellez And Ortiz Help The Pirates Blank The Al Central-Leading Guardians 3-0

By BRIAN DULIK
Associated Press
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana, left, and Oneil Cruz, right, walk off the field at the end of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long) Phil Long, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana, left, and Oneil Cruz, right, walk off the field at the end of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Rowdy Tellez, right, watches his RBI single off Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Eli Morgan as Bo Naylor, left, looks on during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Ardolis Chapman, left, is greeted by Henry Davis, right, at the end of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, left, throws to first base to complete a double play after forcing out Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen (22) at second base during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Matthew Boyd delivers against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Rowdy Tellez hit a two-run single in the eighth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the AL Central leading Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Saturday night.

Luis Ortiz (6-4) pitched six innings of one-hit ball in his first win since July 20. The right-hander struck out five and walked three, helping Pittsburgh stop a four-game slide.

“It was a start we needed and Luis did a great job getting us through six,” manager Derek Shelton said. “We pitched really well and got a couple of big hits when we needed them. It’s a good way to end August.”

Jalen Beeks, Dennis Santana and Aroldis Chapman combined with Ortiz on a two-hitter. Chapman earned his fifth save of the season and tied Roberto Hernandez for 19th on the career list with 326.

“I put a lot of good work in this week and I felt good,” Ortiz said through an interpreter. “The slider was working and it made my other pitches better.”

The Guardians, who own the best home record in the AL at 42-25, maintained a 2 1/2-game lead in the division over Kansas City. They were shut out for the 14th time this season, matching the most in the majors.

Bo Naylor singled in the fifth and Josh Naylor doubled in the seventh to account for Cleveland’s two hits.

“We just couldn’t get anything going against Ortiz,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He had it working.”

With two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth, Tellez was sent up to hit for Connor Joe and Eli Morgan replaced Tim Herrin on the mound. Tellez lined a 1-1 changeup from Morgan into right-center, driving in Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales for a 3-0 lead.

Gonzales also doubled in the fourth and scored on Andrew McCutchen’s single.

Guardians starter Matthew Boyd (1-1) struck out a season-high eight over six innings. The left-hander gave up four hits and a run in his fourth start since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“It sounds cliché, but all I can do is execute my pitches, whether the result is good, bad or indifferent,” Boyd said.

The Guardians had two runners on with one out in the seventh. Lane Thomas drove a Santana pitch to left, where Reynolds made the catch at the wall and threw to second, doubling up Josh Naylor.

McCutchen extended his hitting streak to 13 games — his longest since 2018 with San Francisco — and Oneil Cruz reached base for the 22nd consecutive contest with a pair of singles.

Tim Herrin was struck on the left triceps by a Cruz liner in the seventh, forcing him to exit after facing one batter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: LHP Ryan Borucki (left triceps inflammation) has a 1.80 ERA in five appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis on his current rehab assignment.

Guardians: DH Josh Naylor (left ankle bruise) batted cleanup, one night after being helped off the field following an RBI single in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (11-8, 3.84 ERA) takes on Guardians RHP Alex Cobb (1-1, 4.35 ERA) on Sunday in the three-game series finale. Cobb has been on the injured list with a fractured fingernail since Aug. 16.

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