NEW YORK (AP) — Max Fried allowed one hit over five innings in his return from a two-month layoff, Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe drove in runs on consecutive pitches in the seventh and the New York Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 Wednesday night for a doubleheader split.
Pittsburgh won the opener 5-3 in 10 innings.
Bubba Chandler pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-hit ball in his first scoreless outing this year.
Brandon Eisert (2-2), acquired
from the Chicago White Sox on July 11, relieved and walked Cody Bellinger. One out later, Domínguez doubled down the left-field line and scored when Volpe singled for his second RBI since June 19.
Fried struck out seven and walked one, inducing 10 swings and misses while throwing 37 of 57 pitches for strikes and retiring his last 12 batters. He had not pitched since May 14 because of a bone bruise in his left elbow and was to have thrown one more minor league rehab start before Tuesday night's rainout caused the Yankees to change their plans.
He was economical, with 13 pitches in the first, 10 each in the second, third and fourth, and 14 in the fifth. Fried's four-seam fastball averaged 96.2 mph, 1.5 mph above his season average coming in. He threw his two fastest pitches this year, topping at a 98.5 mph fastball for a called strike against Marcell Ozuna in the second.
Nick Gonzalez singled down the left-field line leading off the game but was throwing out at second trying to stretch by Bellinger in left.
Paul Blackburn (3-1) pitched two hitless innings, escaping a runners-at-the-corners jam in the seventh by striking out Ryan O’Hearn and Ozuna.
Will Warren, who was to have started Tuesday, allowed Nick Gonzales' single starting the ninth and a two-out walk. Tim Hill retired O'Hearn on a groundout that was upheld in a video review for his first save since June 30, 2021, for San Diego at Cincinnati.
Pirates: RHP Jared Jones (2-1, 4.05 ERA) will be on the mound Friday against the visiting Chicago Cubs, who start LHP Matthew Boyd (6-1, 4.15).
Yankees: RHP Will Warren (7-4, 4.03) starts Friday's series opener at Philadelphia against LHP Jesús Luzardo (9-4, 3.43).
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