Pirates complete series shutout sweep of Cardinals, win 5-0 behind Keller for 6-0 homestand

PITTSBIRGH (AP) — Mitch Keller pitched seven innings, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a two-run single in a four-run eighth and the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out St. Louis over a three-game series, winning 5-0 Wednesday to extend their winning streak to a season-high six.

Pittsburgh pitchers extended their scoreless streak to 31 innings as the Pirates finished a 6-0 homestand that started against the New York Mets in which they outscored opponents 43-4.

Keller (3-10) won his second straight start following a 15-start winless streak. He allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked one. Dennis Santana and Isaac Mattson completed the six-hitter with one inning each.

Pittsburgh, last in the NL Central, hadn't had three straight shutouts since 2015. The Cardinals were blanked in three consecutive games for the first time since 2022.

San Diego shut out Colorado in three straight games from April 11-13.

Tommy Pham hit an RBI single in the first off Sonny Gray (8-3), who allowed four runs and five hits over 7 1/3 innings in his first start since a one-hit shutout at Cleveland.

Gray retired 14 straight batters until walking Nick Gonzales starting the eighth. Pham had another run-scoring single, Kiner-Falefa followed with his single and Spencer Horwitz followed with an RBI single.

St. Louis was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners. The Cardinals were without first baseman Willson Contreras (bruised left hand) and third baseman Nolan Arenado (jammed right middle finger).

St. Louis has gone a franchise-record 49 innings in a row without scoring against a fellow NL Central team.

St. Louis stranded the bases loaded in the first inning when Thomas Saggese grounded out.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-5, 5.76) starts Friday's series opener at the Chicago Cubs.

Pirates: Start a weekend series at Seattle.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson, right, celebrates with catcher Henry Davis, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)