PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Braxton Ashcraft struck out 11 over six innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates used a five-run fifth inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 9-3 Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, completing a three-game sweep.

Ashcraft allowed five hits and two earned runs, walked none and improved to 5-2. He retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced after Brooks Lee’s two-run homer in the sixth. The right-hander has won his last three starts, including a seven-inning, nine-strikeout performance at St. Louis on May 21.

Zebby Matthews took the loss for Minnesota, falling to 1-3. He allowed six hits and seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out seven.

The Pirates took control early. Ryan O’Hearn led off the second inning with his eighth home run, a solo shot to right. Pittsburgh added another run in the frame on Jared Triolo’s RBI single that scored Oneil Cruz.

Nick Gonzales put the Pirates ahead for good in the third. After Bryan Reynolds was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a groundout, Gonzales crushed his first homer of the season to center field, scoring Reynolds and making it 4-0.

Pittsburgh broke the game open in the fifth. Spencer Horwitz doubled to center, Brandon Lowe singled him home and the Pirates loaded the bases on a walk to Gonzales and a walk to Cruz. Jake Mangum’s sacrifice fly scored Reynolds. After a catcher’s interference call on Alex Jackson kept the inning alive, Henry Davis lined a two-run single to left, scoring Gonzales and Cruz to push the lead to 9-0.

The Twins answered in the sixth. Alex Jackson singled to center and Lee followed with a two-run homer to right, his seventh of the season. Lee added a second homer in the ninth, a solo shot to right, his eighth.

Brooks Lee finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs, accounting for all of Minnesota’s scoring. The Twins managed only six hits total, striking out 14 times.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen closed out the game. Brandan Bidois allowed one earned run on one hit over two innings, striking out two. Cam Sanders pitched a scoreless eighth with one strikeout.

Mike Paredes pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief for Minnesota, allowing one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts.

The Pirates’ eight hits were led by O’Hearn, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Gonzales drove in two runs on his solo homer and a walk. Davis had two RBIs.

Minnesota dropped to 27-33 with the loss. Pittsburgh improved to 32-28.

Before 19,358 fans on a 2-hour, 30-minute afternoon contest, the Pirates completed their first sweep of the Twins since August 2020. Pittsburgh won the first two games of the series 10-9 on Saturday and 6-5 on Friday.

The loss extended Minnesota’s losing streak to three games. The Twins had dropped five of their last six before the series began. Pittsburgh has won four of its last five.

The most critical sequence came in the fifth inning when Pittsburgh sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs on three hits, a walk, a hit batter, a sacrifice fly and a catcher’s interference. The rally turned a 4-0 game into a 9-0 blowout and effectively ended Matthews’ outing.

Matthews had kept the Twins within striking distance through four innings, allowing four runs on four hits. But the fifth-inning barrage forced Minnesota to go to its bullpen earlier than desired. Paredes entered with one out and the bases loaded and allowed Davis’ two-run single before recording the final two outs of the inning.

Minnesota’s lineup struggled to solve Ashcraft, who threw 32 strikes and 22 balls while inducing 32 balls in play. The Twins struck out 11 times against him, including five of the last six batters he faced after Lee’s first homer.

Ashcraft threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of 25 batters and did not issue a walk. He retired the side in order in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.

Pittsburgh’s pitching staff combined for 15 strikes, 60 balls and 15 balls in play, a statistical anomaly reflecting the high number of strikeouts and walks.

Minnesota will return home to face the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Pittsburgh travels to Houston to play the Astros on Tuesday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Pittsburgh 5, Minnesota 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Pittsburgh a 57.10 percent probability to win. Pittsburgh was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 12 went under the over-under line of 7.5.