Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (35) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 31, 2026. Associated Press

Tom E. Puskar

PITTSBURGH — Braxton Ashcraft struck out 11 in six innings, Ryan O’Hearn and Nick Gonzales homered, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the skidding Minnesota Twins 9-3 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Ashcraft (5-2) allowed two runs and five hits with no walks, sending the Twins to their fifth straight defeat.

Brooks Lee had a two-run homer in the sixth and a solo shot in the ninth for Minnesota.

O’Hearn returned from the injured list and hit a leadoff homer in the second his first time up. Jared Triolo singled in Oneil Cruz to make it 2-0.

Gonzales' two-run homer in the third extended the margin to 4-0.

Mike Paredes replaced Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews (1-3) with one out and runners on second and third in the fifth. Gonzales and Cruz drew back-to-back walks, the latter of which scored Brandon Lowe, and Henry Davis hit a two-run single that capped the Pirates' five-run inning and made it 9-0.

Matthews gave up seven runs and struck out seven in 4 1/3 innings.

Josh Bell had two hits for Minnesota.

Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (1-6, 4.85 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday against Astros RHP Mike Burrows (3-6, 5.40) to open a three-game set in Houston.

Minnesota Twins' Brooks Lee, right, is greeted by Alex Jackson (70) on his way back to the dugout after his two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)