CHICAGO (AP) — Bubba Chandler pitched six strong innings, Rafael Flores Jr. homered among his three hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates pounded the Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Tuesday night.
Bryan Reynolds had two of Pittsburgh’s five doubles off starter Sean Burke. Reynolds drove in two runs and scored twice as the Pirates jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and rolled to their seventh victory in nine games behind an 18-hit outburst.
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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami, of Japan, walks to the dugout after being called out on strikes during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Spencer Horwitz hits a one-run single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Rafael Flores Jr., right, celebrates with Jacob Gonzalez after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Oneil Cruz had three hits and two RBIs and Spencer Horwitz drove in three runs to help deal the White Sox a fourth loss in six games that trimmed their AL Central lead over Cleveland to two games. Every starter had at least one hit for Pittsburgh, and seven had two or more.
Chandler (7-9) allowed two runs on four hits, striking out eight and walking none. Staked to an early lead, the 23-year-old rookie right-hander retired the first 12 White Sox batters before Andrew Benintendi lined his first of two doubles to lead off the fifth.
Chicago’s Kyle Teel hit his second homer in two games and singled. Munetaka Murakami struck out four times.
Burke (8-7) gave up seven runs and eight hits to match career worsts and did it while getting only four outs, his shortest outing in three years in the majors. The right-hander leads the White Sox in innings pitched and had thrown 5 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in his previous start at Houston.
The Pirates jumped ahead 5-0 in the first. The first seven Pittsburgh batters reached base before Burke fanned Jacob Gonzalez for the first out.
Konnor Griffin, Reynolds, Cruz and Esmerlyn Valdez all lined deep doubles off center-cut pitches. Horwitz and Flores singled and Brandon Lowe walked before Burke retired three straight.
The Pirates upped it to 7-0 in the second. Tyler Schweitzer relieved with one out and the bases loaded and yielded a single to Horwitz that scored two runs.
Flores added a solo shot and Reynolds a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 9-0.
RHP Lake Bachar (1-3, 3.59 ERA) will open for the Pirates against White Sox RHP Davis Martin (9-6, 4.13) on Wednesday night.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami, of Japan, walks to the dugout after being called out on strikes during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Spencer Horwitz hits a one-run single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Rafael Flores Jr., right, celebrates with Jacob Gonzalez after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka thought it was all slipping away. Her U.S. Open title reign and her lengthy hold on the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis were just about gone.
Then Sabalenka proved she's not giving any of it up without a fight.
Sabalenka kept alive her hopes for a third straight U.S. Open title by edging Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Tuesday in a thrilling quarterfinal matchup of major champions.
“What a battle. What an incredible player she is and I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,” Sabalenka said. “I honestly thought that that’s it, the match is over and probably that’s what helped me to kind of like, I don’t know, feel loose and just go after my shots.”
Sabalenka — who needed to win to maintain any hope of keeping the No. 1 ranking — will face No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who rallied to beat No. 26 Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Pegula in the 2024 final and against last year in the semifinals after dropping the first set.
Sabalenka finished off Tuesday's match with a second-serve ace to turn back the Wimbledon champion and reach the semifinals in Flushing Meadows for the sixth straight year.
The first men's quarterfinal also went to a match tiebreaker, with No. 11 Frances Tiafoe rallying to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6). He will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or No. 8 Ben Shelton, who started their quarterfinal match just after 11 p.m. after the first three matches all went long.
The lengthy day session gave Pegula and Navarro a late start, nearly 90 minutes after the usual 7 p.m. beginning of the night session. Navarro was much better once it finally did begin, breaking Pegula's serve twice in the opening set.
Pegula found her best tennis late, winning four straight games to take control after Navarro had broken her for a 2-1 lead in the third set.
Noskova, the No. 6 seed, won her first major title at the All England Club and narrowly missed becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to follow a title on the grass by reaching the final four on the hard courts of New York.
Sabalenka was in danger of her earliest exit at the U.S. Open since going out in the second round in 2020 when Noskova got a break in the third set en route to a 4-2 lead. Sabalenka held and then played one of her best games of the match, breaking at love to tie it at 4-all.
“I just felt at some point in the third set she was definitely serving better than me and putting so much pressure on me,” Sabalenka said. "But I’m glad that I kind of threw that thought away and I was able to focus point by point and, like, literally just trying to build something bigger in that moment.
“I got, not lucky, but I’m happy the way I broke her serve at 3-4. I think I really played a great intensity level of tennis, and that really gave me so much confidence that I still can get the win in this match.”
She did, avoiding her first loss at the U.S. Open since Coco Gauff beat her in the 2023 final.
Noskova finished with 46 winners to Sabalenka's 42, and she hit 18 aces to Sabalenka's 12. Both players were able to end points quickly, and Sabalenka also showed off some impressive speed in tracking down drop shots.
Sabalenka came to the U.S. Open far off her usual form on hard courts, losing in the fourth round in both Toronto and Cincinnati after falling at that stage at Wimbledon. But she had recovered in New York, not dropping a set en route to the quarterfinals.
She appeared struggling to stay under control at one point, changing her racket during the third set while trying to regain her touch. She went behind 2-0 in the match tiebreaker but pulled ahead for good when Noskova double-faulted to make it 4-3, and Sabalenka took the next two points for some critical breathing room.
“Being a break up in the third set, it’s not very easy. Also having a little break at the start of the tiebreak in the third one, as well, it’s frustrating, obviously,” Noskova said.
"But at the same time, Aryna, she played the best tennis that she could in those moments, which didn’t really make it easy for me.”
Sabalenka will lose the No. 1 ranking she has held for 99 consecutive weeks if No. 2 Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals. If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can keep her hold on it by winning the title.
Noskova finished with her best run at the U.S. Open. She had reached only one major quarterfinal, at the 2024 Australian Open, before beating fellow Czech Karolina Muchova for the Wimbledon title.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, celebrates after a point against Emma Navarro, of the United States, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, celebrates winning a match against Alex Michelsen, of the United States, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts during a match against Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, reaches to return the ball to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns the ball to Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, reacts during a match against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, celebrates winning a match against Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
