Bryce Harper homers off Paul Skenes and Phillies beat Pirates 6-0 and move over .500

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched seven sparkling innings, Bryce Harper hit a home run off ace Paul Skenes and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 Sunday for a three-game sweep that moved them over .500 for the first time since early April.

Philadelphia (24-23) has won seven of eight and improved to 15-4 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as manager on April 28. The Phillies had not been over .500 since they were 6-5 before an April 8 loss.

Wheeler (3-0) gave up four hits while striking out eight and walking one. His ERA is 1.99 in six starts since beginning the season on the injured list while recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot from his upper right arm.

Jonathan Bowlan and Tanner Banks pitched one inning each to finish the five-hitter.

Harper led off the sixth inning with his 12th home run to push the’ lead to 3-0. Later in the inning, Bryson Stott added a two-run double off Isaac Mattson. The runs were charged to Skenes (6-3), who was lifted after Alec Bohm singled and Brandon Marsh doubled.

Skenes tied a career-high by giving up five runs in five-plus innings. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner allowed six hits, struck out seven, and walked one as his ERA rose from 1.98 to 2.62.

Skenes’ career-best scoreless innings streak ended at 20 in a two-run fifth. Justin Crawford drove in the first run on a groundout, and Trea Turner followed with an RBI single.

The Pirates have lost four of five.

Phillies: Rookie RHP Andrew Painter (1-4, 6.21 ERA) will start on Monday night against visiting Cincinnati and LHP Nick Lodolo (0-1, 8.68 ERA) to start a three-game series.

Pirates: After having Monday off, open a three-game series on Tuesday night in St. Louis with RHP Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.59) facing LHP Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 4.20).

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Philadelphia Phillies' Bryson Stott, right, celebrates with J.T. Realmuto (10) as he heads to the dugout after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin, right, is tagged out on a steal-attempt of second base by Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during he sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The U.S. military conducted a rapid response exercise involving Marines and military aircraft in Venezuela’s capital on Saturday, more than four months after the ouster of then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, which have characteristics of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane, flew over the recently reopened U.S. Embassy in Caracas. They landed in the parking lot with the downdraft blowing tree branches. Forces then descended from the aircraft.

“Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world,” the embassy said on Instagram.

Venezuela’s government had announced the drill earlier this week. Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the United States would conduct the exercise to prepare “in the event of medical emergencies or catastrophic emergencies.”

The drill comes almost two months after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas. The reopening followed the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country after Maduro's ouster in early January.

Some Caracas residents gathered near the embassy to watch the aircraft, while a few dozen others gathered elsewhere in the city to protest Saturday's exercise. The protesters held a Venezuelan flag with the message “No to the Yankee drill” written over it.

U.S. military aircraft last flew over Caracas on Jan. 3, when elite forces rappelled down from helicopters and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. They have pleaded not guilty.

Squadron markings on the Ospreys that landed in the capital Saturday identified them as belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263. The same squadron is currently deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Ocean. Maduro and Flores were flown to that warship immediately after their detention.

The head of U.S. military operations in Latin America observed the exercise firsthand. Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, head of the U.S. Southern Command, also met on Saturday with senior Venezuelan officials and embassy staff.

U.S. Southern Command said on X that Donovan arrived in one of the Ospreys for his second official visit to Caracas this year. During a visit in February, Donovan met with Venezuela's defense and interior ministers.

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A soldier looks down from a military aircraft as the U.S. Embassy holds an emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)