Chicago White Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score on Apr 09, 2023

Jack Suwinski's sacrifice fly RBI provided the offense in a pitchers' duel Sunday as the Pittsburgh Pirates topped the visiting Chicago White Sox 1-0 to take two of three in the series.

Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo (1-0) gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. He combined with three relievers on a six-hit shutout. David Bednar pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

The Pirates managed just two hits and lost shortstop Oneil Cruz to a fractured left ankle.

Chicago starter Michael Kopech (0-2) gave up one run and two hits in six innings, with three walks and five strikeouts.

The one-run game came after the teams combined for 38 runs in the first two games of the series.

The game included a benches-clearing incident in the sixth, which occurred just before Pittsburgh budding star Cruz was helped off the field after a play at the plate in the sixth.

In the second with one out, Pittsburgh's Canaan Smith-Njigba hit his first big-league triple, a shot off the wall in right. Rodolfo Castro walked. Suwinski drove in Smith-Njigba with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0. Tyler Heineman popped out to end the inning.

Through five innings, Chicago had four singles, while the only Pirates' baserunners were Smith-Njigba with his triple and Ke'Bryan Hayes, who walked in the first, and Castro's walk in the second.

In the Pittsburgh sixth, Cruz walked on a count aided by a shift violation called on Chicago. Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single to right, moving Cruz to third.

Hayes hit a chopper to third baseman Yoan Moncada, who threw home. Cruz was out, but on the play with catcher Seby Zavala, Cruz was left writhing in pain in the dirt.

While Cruz was attended to, the next batter, Carlos Santana, confronted Zavala, and both benches and bullpens emptied. Other than a little shoving, it did not amount to a lot, and there were no ejections. As things cleared, Cruz was helped off the field.

--Field Level Media