Cubs 6, Pirates 4
Javier Baez and Matt Szczur homered while Felix Doubront pitched six scoreless innings as visiting Chicago evened the series at a game apiece.
Arismendy Alcantara had two hits and scored twice while Szczur added a pair of hits for the Cubs, who snapped a seven-game losing streak. The Pirates had the leadoff man on in each inning from the second through the sixth but couldn't break through against Doubront (4-5), who allowed four singles and a walk.
Russell Martin had two hits – including a three-run double – and Travis Snider homered for the Pirates, who fell 3 1/2 games behind National League Central leader St. Louis but remained 1 1/2 ahead of Milwaukee for the NL's second wild card. Jeff Locke (7-5) allowed three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Baez put the Cubs on top with a two-run blast in the third — his ninth since being called up Aug. 5 — and another run came home on Chris Valaika's double-play grounder later in the inning. Chicago tacked on two more in the seventh on Welington Castillo's sacrifice fly and Mike Olt's RBI double.
Szczur added his first major-league homer leading off the eighth to make it 6-0 before Martin cut the lead in half with a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the inning. Pedro Strop came on to get out of the jam in the eighth and Hector Rondon gave up a leadoff homer to Snider in the ninth before nailing down his 24th save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pittsburgh 3B Josh Harrison went 1-for-5, lowering his NL-leading average one point to .317. … Doubront recorded his first major-league hit with an infield single in the fourth. … Pirates LF Starling Marte missed his second straight game with a sore left elbow and was available only to pinch run.