Riley’s Homer Powers Braves Past Pirates and Cy Young Winner Skenes in Spring Action

Austin Riley's two-run blast lifted Atlanta over Pittsburgh 3-1 in spring training action Wednesday. The victory came against Pirates ace Paul Skenes, the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner making his first start of the spring.

Austin Riley delivered a decisive two-run blast that propelled the Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday at North Port, Florida, in spring training action.

The Pirates’ Paul Skenes, fresh off winning the 2025 National League Cy Young Award, made his spring debut but struggled with control issues. The ace right-hander gave up one run on a single hit while issuing four walks and recording four strikeouts across 2 1/3 innings, facing a dozen hitters. Skenes also saw four of his strike calls overturned when Atlanta successfully challenged using the automated ball-strike system.

Pittsburgh managed just six hits and received minimal offensive production beyond Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI single in the opening frame. Meanwhile, Atlanta collected five hits total, with Jurickson Profar contributing an RBI double and Riley launching his 419-foot homer to center field, both coming in the third inning.

The Braves’ pitching staff dominated with 13 total strikeouts, led by starter Bryce Elder who fanned three batters during his two-inning outing.

Orioles 4, Rays 3

Vance Honeycutt’s 410-foot solo blast in the seventh inning capped Baltimore’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Tampa Bay in Sarasota, Florida.

The Rays had seized control in the fourth when Jonny DeLuca connected on a three-run homer to center following Nick Fortes’ leadoff walk and Ryan Vilade reaching base on a fielding mistake by third baseman Weston Wilson.

After Tyler O’Neill’s RBI double gave Baltimore the early advantage, the Orioles tied things up in the fifth on a fielder’s choice that turned chaotic when second baseman Cooper Kinney’s throwing error allowed two runs to score. Honeycutt then delivered the game-winner off right-hander Derrick Edington.

Blue Jays 4, Tigers (ss) 4

Toronto rallied in the ninth inning with help from two Detroit errors surrounding a single to deadlock with the Tigers’ split squad in Lakeland, Florida.

The Blue Jays’ ninth-inning surge began when Riley Tirotta reached base on first baseman Josue Briceno’s fielding miscue and advanced to third on Jimenez’s single before being thrown out at second. Arjun Nimmala then grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Tirotta and put Nimmala at second when shortstop John Peck made a throwing error.

Leadoff man Ernie Clement starred for Toronto with a perfect 3-for-3 performance that included two RBIs, a double and a triple. Eloy Jimenez contributed two hits including a double, while Thayron Liranzo powered a three-run homer for Detroit in the sixth.

Red Sox 5, Twins 3

Boston exploded for four runs in the third inning to build a 5-0 advantage and withstood Minnesota’s late charge in Fort Myers, Florida.

Both clubs recorded eight hits, with the Red Sox getting doubles from Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell. Jarren Duran was Boston’s only multi-hit performer. The Red Sox deployed nine pitchers who combined for eight strikeouts and four walks.

Luke Keaschall put Minnesota on the board with a two-run double in the fifth, and Tanner Schobel added an RBI single in the eighth. Nine Twins pitchers allowed six walks while striking out five.

Phillies 5, Tigers (ss) 3

Otto Kemp went deep and Philadelphia controlled the game from start to finish against Detroit’s split squad in Clearwater, Florida.

Alec Bohm paced the Phillies offense with a 2-for-3 showing that featured RBI singles in both the third and fifth innings. Kemp launched his first spring training homer, a 419-foot solo shot in the fourth, while Bryce Harper recorded his first RBI of the spring on a double.

Detroit got on the scoreboard when Javier Baez singled home a run in the fourth, and Brett Callahan added a ninth-inning homer that traveled 405 feet.

Astros 4, Marlins 1

Taylor Trammell and Anthony Huezo homered as Houston relied entirely on extra-base hits for its scoring in defeating Miami at Jupiter, Florida.

Walker Janek’s two-run double in the fourth inning gave the Astros a 2-1 lead over the Marlins. Trammell followed with a 353-foot solo homer in the fifth, and Huezo added a 364-foot blast to left center in the eighth. Houston starter Hunter Brown was stellar, allowing just one hit while striking out two over two shutout innings.

Miami managed only five hits, including Jakob Marsee’s leadoff double to start the bottom of the first. However, he was picked off and the next two batters lined out to waste the opportunity.

Cardinals 6, Mets 0

Nolan Gorman’s three-run homer provided more than enough offense as St. Louis pitchers blanked New York in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Starter Richard Fitts earned the victory by allowing two hits with one strikeout over two innings, as seven Cardinals pitchers combined on the eight-hit shutout. They walked just one batter while fanning six.

Mets starter Jonah Tong surrendered three runs on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Right fielder Carson Benge, among New York’s top prospects, batted leadoff and went 3-for-3 while his teammates managed five hits.