Pirates back Bubba Chandler with 18 hits in 9-3 victory over White Sox

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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.

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.

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