Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Pittsburgh, Frida. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo)

STAFFWire Reports

ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers reliever Josh Sborz, who got the final seven outs in the team’s World Series-clinching game last fall, was activated from the injured list Friday after missing nearly two months because of a right rotator cuff strain.

The Rangers brought Sborz back from his second IL stint this season at the same time that right-hander Dane Dunning went on the 15-day IL for the second time with right shoulder soreness.

Sborz was on the IL from April 7-24, then returned to the list after exiting the second game of a doubleheader at Oakland on May 8. He was 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA entering Friday, allowing one earned run over 5 1/3 innings in seven appearances.

“He’s a big part of this club, been a high-leverage guy,” manager Bruce Bochy said before the series opener against Tampa Bay. “I’m excited to have him back.”

Sborz pitched in seven games during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock. The right-hander struck out 12 with five walks over 6 2/3 innings in those games. He had five strikeouts without a walk in his last three appearances (3 1/3 innings).

Dunning (4-7, 4.71 ERA) was previously on the IL with a right rotator cuff strain from May 5-21. He made three relief appearances since being moved to the bullpen from the rotation after the return of three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer last month.

Bochy said the Rangers wanted to give Dunning some time to rest his shoulder. He said Dunning is expected to be fine.

Paul Skenes dazzles again

PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes threw seven strong innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates tied a franchise record by smashing seven home runs in a 14-2 demolition of the New York Mets on Friday night.

Bryan Reynolds homered from both sides of the plate, including a grand slam, and Rowdy Tellez had a grand slam among his two homers.

Skenes (5-0), a 22-year-old rookie, allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts while his ERA ticked up slightly to 2.12.

The mustachioed right-hander has struck out seven or more batters in nine of his first 10 starts, the most ever by a pitcher over the first 10 games of his career. Skenes has thrown 74 pitches of at least 100 mph this season, more than double anyone else in the majors.

Yet Skenes didn’t just beat the Mets with his heat. The last of his 107 pitches was an 87 mph slider that Harrison Bader whiffed at, bringing just the second sellout crowd of the season at PNC Park to its feet as the 6-foot-6 top overall pick in the 2023 draft made his way to the dugout.

Pittsburgh’s struggling offense — as it seems to do frequently when Skenes is starting — provided plenty of cushion.

Reynolds had four of Pittsburgh’s season high-tying 16 hits. He hit a two-run homer from the left side off Luis Severino (5-3) in the fifth inning to put Pittsburgh in front. His grand slam — from the right side — came against reliever Jake Diekman in the seventh.