Cleveland Guardians' Gabriel Arias, center, slides safely into home plate to score in front of home plate umpire Alex MacKay, left, as Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, right, loses the ball in the third inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

CLEVELAND — Paul Skenes allowed one run and struck out eight in seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-1 on Sunday.

Skenes (9-8) went at least seven innings for the first time since May 12. The All-Star right-hander gave up seven hits.

After allowing eight runs (seven earned) in four innings in a 10-6 loss at Philadelphia on July 1, Skenes is 3-0 with a 2.46 ERA.

Billy Cook had a career-high three hits and drove in two runs, Esmerlyn Valdez continued his torrid July with a two-run homer in the ninth and Nick Gonzales had two doubles as the Pirates won their fifth straight interleague series. They have gone 11-4 in that span.

Steven Kwan had two hits for Cleveland, which had won its past three series against Pittsburgh.

Cook gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the second with a base hit to right off Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo (8-5) to drive in Gonzales.

The Pittsburgh center fielder led off the fifth with a triple off the wall in the right-field corner before scoring when Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges had a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at third.

Cook extended the Pirates’ lead to 4-1 in the sixth with an RBI single up the middle to score Jacob Gonzalez.

Valdez’s drive down the left-field line off Will Dion in the ninth made him the sixth Pirates rookie with at least 20 RBIs in a calendar month.

UP NEXT

Pirates: Head to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees. All-Star RHP Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.49 ERA) gets the start on Monday.

Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (3-9, 3.90 ERA) goes on Monday when Cleveland opens a four-game set against Minnesota.