Pirates Complete Sweep Of Minnesota

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 to complete a three-game sweep. Ashcraft 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, and Henry Davis had a two-run single in a five-run fifth.