Pirates defeat White Sox 9-3 behind strong Bubba Chandler start

The Pittsburgh Pirates opened a road trip by defeating the Chicago White Sox 9-3 at Rate Field on Tuesday night. Pittsburgh scored five runs in the first inning, with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz contributing RBI doubles. Bubba Chandler earned the win after tossing six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out eight batters. Rafael Flores Jr. recorded three hits for the Pirates, matching a career-high and providing a solo home run in the fifth. The White Sox struggled early against starting pitcher Sean Burke, who exited in the second inning after allowing seven runs. Every player in the Pittsburgh starting lineup recorded at least one hit as the team improved to 8-2 against the AL Central this season. The Pirates are scheduled to play a bullpen game on Wednesday against the White Sox, with Davis Martin starting for Chicago.

• 2:33 AMYahoo Sports — Pirates set tone early to rout White Sox; good start to critical road trip