Heaney, 5 Pirates relievers combine on 4-hitter, Cruz homers in 2-0 win over Diamondbacks

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew Heaney and five relievers combined on a four-hitter, Oneil Cruz hit his team-leading 17th home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 on Saturday night.

Heaney (5-9) pitched five innings and allowed two hits with four strikeouts and no walks. It might have been his last start for the last-place Pirates, with Heaney on an expiring contract and the trade deadline Thursday.

David Bednar worked a perfect ninth inning for his 100th career save and 16th this season.

Merrill Kelly (9-6) might have pitched his last game for the Diamondbacks, too, as he can become a free agent at the end of the season. Kelly gave up two runs — one earned — and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking one.

Cruz’s two-run homer in the second inning carried 410 feet to right-center field and accounted for all the scoring. It came after Tommy Pham reached base on third baseman Eugenio Suarez’s fielding error.

Suarez, who has 36 home runs, has topped trade speculation.

The Diamondbacks pulled outfielder Randal Grichuk in the fifth inning and traded him to Kansas City for reliever Andrew Hoffman. The move came two days after the Diamondbacks shipped first baseman Josh Naylor to Seattle for two pitching prospects.

The Diamondbacks were 10 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West entering play Saturday. They also were four games out of the third wild card position.

The Pirates won for the fourth time in five games and the Diamondbacks lost for the fourth time in five games.

Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas missed his third game while on the bereavement list, but it expected to play Sunday.

The Diamondbacks had runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth inning, but Yohan Ramirez struck out Jorge Barrosa, who replaced Grichuk, to end the threat.

The Pirates have 12 shutouts this year.

Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (5-8, 1.91) was set to face RHP Zac Gallen (7-11, 5.58 ERA) on Sunday in the series finale.

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Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz, right, is greeted by Tommy Pham, left, after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll catches a fly ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz hits a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Bichette and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $126 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced.

A two-time All-Star at shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette will move to third base with the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Bichette has never played a professional game at the hot corner.

Bichette can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years, the person said.

The deal does not contain any deferred money and Bichette gets a full no-trade provision. His $42 million average annual value ties for the sixth-highest in baseball history.

It was the latest big development in an eventful offseason for the Mets, who angered fans by letting popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz leave in free agency. President of baseball operations David Stearns also traded two other stalwarts in outfielder Brandon Nimmo and versatile veteran Jeff McNeil — both homegrown players.

New York signed closer Devin Williams to a $51 million, three-year contract, infielder Jorge Polanco to a $40 million, two-year deal and reliever Luke Weaver to a $22 million, two-year agreement.

Although he lacks Alonso's prodigious power, Bichette is a proven hitter with lightning-fast hands and a penchant for line-drive doubles. He would give the Mets a dangerous right-handed bat to help complement lefty slugger Juan Soto.

Because of his inexperience at third, however, Bichette becomes the latest question mark in the field for New York even though Stearns has insisted the team must improve its defense and is determined to do so.

Polanco has one pitch of major league experience at first base, where he and Mark Vientos, previously a third baseman, are the leading candidates to replace Alonso.

New York had planned to start Brett Baty at third, where he provides a strong glove. Baty, who also has experience at second base, is viewed as a versatile defender who could see time in the outfield and perhaps at first.

Or, the Mets could look to trade Baty for pitching or outfield help. Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien is set to play second after arriving from Texas in a November trade for Nimmo.

Bichette batted .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 139 games for the Blue Jays last year. He homered off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Late last season, Bichette sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, keeping the infielder out of the lineup until the World Series. He returned for Game 1 against the Dodgers and played second base for the first time in six years.

Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022. He finished second in the major leagues in batting average last season to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

Bichette turned down a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from the Blue Jays in November, so they would receive an extra draft pick in July after the fourth round if he completes his deal with the Mets.

New York would forfeit its second- and fifth-highest draft picks, along with $1 million in 2027 international signing bonus pool allocation.

Bichette was one of the last remaining big-name hitters on the free agent market after outfielder Kyle Tucker spurned the Mets and agreed Thursday to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Dodgers.

Bichette, who turns 28 in March, has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays since they selected him in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft. He is a .294 career hitter with 111 home runs and an .806 OPS in 748 major league games.

He is a son of former big league slugger Dante Bichette, a four-time All-Star outfielder.

AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and David Brandt and AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.

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FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette celebrates his three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

FILE - New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns responds to questions during a news conference about MLB trade deadline deals, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)