Cubs 3, Pirates 2 (12)
PITTSBURGH - Anthony Rizzo's sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night and edged them closer to the first National League wild card.
With the scored tied at 2, left fielder Chris Denorfia led off the winning rally with a single off reliever Vance Worley and Quintin Berry pinch ran for him. Berry took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on center fielder Austin Jackson's single and scored when left fielder Starling Marte made a sliding catch of a fly ball by Rizzo, the All-Star first baseman.
Cubs closer Hector Rondon (6-4) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Worley (4-6), the eighth Pirates' pitcher, entered at the start of the 12th.
The Cubs (84-61) drew within three games of the Pirates (87-58) for the first wild card after winning for the second time in three games in the four-game series that concludes Thursday afternoon.
The Pirates dropped four games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals (91-54), who won 5-4 at Milwaukee, in the NL Central while the Cubs stayed seven games back.
Given a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning, Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta was unable to hold it in his attempt to become the first major league pitcher to 20 wins this season.
Arrieta allowed a run to score in the seventh when he threw away Marte's comebacker with two outs for an error.
The Pirates tied it in the eighth when pinch runner Sean Rodriguez scored from third as right fielder Gregory Polanco grounded into an inning-ending reverse 4-3-4-2-5 double play with the bases loaded.
Arrieta wound up allowing two runs - one earned - and six hits in eight innings while striking out five and walking one.
Arrieta was attempting to become the first Cubs' pitcher to win 20 games since 2001 when Jon Lieber went 20-6. Arrieta also had his eight-start winning streak snapped, the longest by a Cubs' pitcher since Milt Pappas won 11 in a row in 1972.
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant had three hits and catcher Miguel Montero added two. Bryant was a combined 0-for-7 with five strikeouts Tuesday when Chicago split a doubleheader with the Pirates.
Marte and second baseman Neil Walker had two hits each for the Pirates.
Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett (8-6) pitched into the sixth inning in his second start since being activated from the disabled list from July 31-Sept. 9 with a strained flexor tendon in his left elbow. He gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Burnett took a shutout into the sixth inning before the Cubs scored twice after putting runners in scoring position with less than two outs in the second, third and fifth but coming away empty each time.
Bryant doubled home the first run and scored on a safety squeeze bunt by second baseman Starlin Castro.
NOTES: Cubs RF Jorge Soler will be activated from the disabled list after Single-A Myrtle Beach finishes the Carolina League playoffs, which are scheduled to last no later than Friday. Soler is on a rehab assignment with Myrtle Beach. He has been out since Aug. 24. ... Cubs RHP Jason Motte (right shoulder sprain), also on the DL since Aug. 24, started throwing off flat ground, but there is no timetable for his return. ... Cubs SS Addison Russell rested after playing both games of Tuesday night's day-night doubleheader split with the Pirates. ... Pirates 3B Aramis Ramirez started at first base in place of 1B Pedro Alvarez for the fourth time in nine games. Ramirez had never played first in his 18-year career until Sept. 8. ... The four-game series ends Thursday afternoon with Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (7-6, 4.08 ERA) facing Pirates RHP Charlie Morton (9-7, 4.02).