Braxton Ashcraft pitched six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and no walks to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The performance helped Pittsburgh secure its fifth consecutive victory. Ashcraft lowered his season ERA to 2.25 after two starts.
PITTSBURGH – The 26-year-old right-hander threw 87 pitches in his second start of the season, matching his pitch count from a career-high six innings against Cincinnati. He retired eight straight Orioles batters after a leadoff single and caught thief Taylor Ward stealing second. Ashcraft navigated a fourth-inning run on two doubles by striking out Samuel Basallo and inducing a pop-out from Tyler O’Neill.
