(Photo credit: David Richard-Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Pirates were five outs away from a doubleheader sweep at the Cleveland Guardians that would have moved them into a tie for the final National League wild-card spot.

Thanks to the heroics of Cleveland's All-Star second baseman Travis Bazzana, it didn't happen, setting up a rubber match Sunday in the three-game series finale in Northeast Ohio.

Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (8-8, 3.57 ERA) is slated to face Guardians southpaw Joey Cantillo (8-4, 3.56) in the afternoon contest.

On Saturday, Cleveland scored five unanswered runs in the final two innings -- capped by rookie Bazzana's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Dennis Santana -- to steal a 5-3 victory in the second half of the day/night twinbill.

Pittsburgh cruised to a 7-1 win in the opener Saturday as rookie Esmerlyn Valdez and Jacob Gonzalez each hit two-run shots, extending its winning streak to four games.

'We've become a very, very fun team to watch,' said Pirates pitcher Jared Jones, who struck out a season-high nine in the first game. 'Once we get all of our guys back, we can go on a pretty scary run.'

Valdez has been the driving force behind Pittsburgh going 8-5 in July, topping the majors with 18 RBIs, including three against the Guardians. He has a .304 average, 11 home runs and 30 RBIs in his first 30 games. He set a franchise record with 10 homers in his first 27 games.

Since making his debut on May 22, Valdez has 19 extra-base hits and a slugging percentage of .716. Third baseman Nick Gonzales also is raking with a .400 average and nine RBIs in 13 games this month.

'This team is a lot of fun, and with the pitching and hitting we have, it looks like we're here to win every day,' Pirates shortstop Jacob Gonzalez said. 'I just hope we keep going.'

Skenes has faced the Guardians only once, giving up two runs in seven innings in a 3-0 home loss on April 19, 2025. The ace is 5-4 with a 1.86 ERA in 18 career interleague outings.

The three-time All-Star has won two straight starts -- beating the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers -- immediately after a six-game losing streak that spanned nine appearances from May 17 to July 1.

'It was a really interesting first half because I don't think I've thrown the ball poorly,' Skenes said. 'For whatever reason, the ERA is a little higher. It's not something I'm losing any sleep over, but it's just been a weird first half in that sense.'

Bazzana reached base a career-high-tying four times in the nightcap, which also was his 16th multi-hit game. The native Australian has struggled over the last 15 contests, batting just .186, but went 3-for-7 in the doubleheader with three RBIs.

The Guardians pulled back into a virtual deadlock with the Chicago White Sox atop the American League Central Division with their fourth walk-off of the year.

'When it comes to the ninth and we're close, we feel really good about it,' Bazzana said. 'Our bullpen stays with it, and then, we just fight and find a way. I got a good pitch to hit and I took a good swing. It's so awesome.'

Cantillo got into a groove in his last two starts, striking out 16 while allowing one earned run in 10 innings at the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins. He beat Miami but was saddled with a loss to Minnesota when Bazzana made an error leading to two unearned runs.

In his lone game against Pittsburgh, Cantillo earned his only career save with a scoreless 10th inning on April 20, 2025. He is 2-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 16 interleague appearances.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opted to push Cantillo back one day when the teams' series opener was postponed Friday.

'When you look at having 13 games in 12 days, we would have had to insert a spot starter on Wednesday (against the Twins),' he explained. 'This makes things cleaner and allows us to stay on rotation, and no one is going on short rest.'

--Field Level Media