The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton following a rocky opening month to the season that saw the team quickly slip into last place in the NL Central.

General manager Ben Cherington made the announcement Thursday. Bench coach Don Kelly will take over for Shelton.

The decision comes with Pittsburgh riding a seven-game losing streak that saw its record fall to 12-26. Shelton went 306-440 in five-plus seasons with the Pirates.

Kelly, a Pittsburgh native, spent nine years in the major leagues as a utility player. He has been the Pirates bench coach since 2020.

Three-time All-Star Lemon dies: Chet Lemon, a three-time All-Star outfielder who helped the Detroit Tigers win the 1984 World Series over the San Diego Padres, has died after a lengthy battle with blood cancer. He was 70.

Lemon batted .273 with 215 homers and 884 RBIs over 16 seasons with Chicago and Detroit from 1975 to 1990. A first-round draft pick by the A’s in 1972 out of Los Angeles’ Fremont High, he played his first seven years with the White Sox and made All-Star teams in 1978 and 1979.

Lemon was traded to Detroit following the 1981 season for fellow outfielder Steve Kemp. Three years later, he made his third All-Star team and helped Detroit bring home its first championship since 1968.

In retirement, Lemon coached youth and high school and travel baseball in Florida. He also established the Chet Lemon Foundation, which helps athletes earn scholarships and provides support for people affected by strokes and aphasia.

Tigers 11-10, Rockies 1-2: Keider Montero pitched eight strong innings, Colt Keith homered, Gleyber Torres had a three-run double and Detroit routed Colorado in the second game to sweep their doubleheader at Coors Field.

Spencer Torkelson had three hits for the AL Central-leading Tigers.

Montero (1-1) allowed a run and five hits to earn his first victory since Sept. 15, 2024.

Colorado has lost six in a row.

In the opener, Casey Mize pitched six effective innings and Torkelson had three RBIs.

Mize (6-1) struck out eight in his fourth consecutive win. He permitted one run and three hits.

Royals 10, White Sox 0: Bobby Witt Jr. had four hits, Kris Bubic pitched seven innings and Kansas City blanked visiting Chicago to complete a four-game series sweep.

Salvador Perez had three RBIs as the Royals posted their sixth consecutive win.

Bubic (4-2) allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked one.

Red Sox 5, Rangers 0: Rafael Devers homered and drove in two runs, and five pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout as Boston defeated Texas at Fenway Park.

Devers hit a solo shot for his sixth home run of the season in the seventh inning. His first RBI of the game came on a single in the fifth inning.

Twins 5, Orioles 2: Brooks Lee had a go-ahead two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning to propel Minnesota at home over Baltimore, completing a three-game sweep with its fifth straight victory.

Lee’s double came off reliever Gregory Soto, who entered after Yennier Cano walked Harrison Bader leading off and Byron Buxton with one out.