Pirates 9, Twins 3: Ashcraft Fans 11 in Scoreless Six to Complete Sweep

The lead

May 31, 2026 - Pittsburgh - Braxton Ashcraft struck out 11 without a walk in six innings, Ryan O'Hearn homered in his return from the injured list, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Minnesota Twins 9-3 to complete a three-game sweep, per the Associated Press recap on ABC News.

Ashcraft (5-2) needed only 80 pitches—60 strikes—and became one of 11 modern-era pitchers with at least 11 strikeouts and zero walks in 80 or fewer pitches, per the Tribune-Review.

How the game turned

O'Hearn homered leading off the second in his first at-bat back. Nick Gonzales' two-run shot in the third made it 4-0. Oneil Cruz scored on Jared Triolo's single for 2-0.

A five-run fifth against Zebby Matthews (1-3) blew it open: walks to Gonzales and Cruz scored a run, and Henry Davis' two-run single capped the frame at 9-0. Brooks Lee homered twice for Minnesota's runs.

Pitching and matchup notes

Ashcraft allowed five hits and two earned runs. The Twins lost their fifth straight. Matthews gave up seven runs in 4⅓ innings.

AthX Engine graded Pittsburgh at 18 team FP with Ashcraft at 22 pitching FP—tied for the day's top arm with Kyle Bradish on the leaderboard.

Bats that changed the board

O'Hearn's immediate impact and Ashcraft's efficiency gave Pittsburgh a series sweep at PNC Park. Lee's two homers were Minnesota's only bright spots.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

22 pitching FP on 11 K and zero walks is peak AthX Engine pitching value—18 team FP followed even with modest hitting totals outside the fifth-inning burst. Daily scoring remains separate from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

The Pirates open a series in Houston; Minnesota hosts Chicago, per AP.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, ABC News recap, Tribune-Review, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*