Pirates, Bell slam Cubs
PITTSBURGH -- Rookie first baseman Josh Bell hit a grand slam in his second career at bat to propel the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 12-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on Saturday night.
After catcher Eric Fryer hit a single off pitcher Adam Warren to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning, Bell stepped to the plate in the pitcher's spot.
Bell fouled a ball sharply to left, gathered himself and then belted his first career home run over the right field wall before it bounced into the Allegheny River for a 11-5 Pirates lead.
Pittsburgh's third-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, Bell stepped out of the dugout for a curtain call and was greeted by a raucous applause one day after he was promoted from Class Triple-A Indianapolis.
Bell made his Major League debut in Pittsburgh's 8-4 win on Friday night, when he pinch-hit and singled to center in the seventh inning.
Shortstop Jordy Mercer followed Bell's grand slam with another homer, making it 12-5 through five innings.
The Pirates (46-42) pulled to within 6 1/2 games of the National League Central-leading Cubs (52-35) with their ninth win in 10 games. Chicago's recent struggles continued with a fifth consecutive loss, its ninth in 10 games.
Chicago got a run back in the top of the sixth when Ben Zobrist grounded into a double play, allowing Kris Bryant to score from third.
Pirates right-handed pitcher Chad Kuhl was removed after 2 1/3 innings in his third major-league start after allowing the Cubs to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the third inning.
Anthony Rizzo led off the Cubs' third with a triple to left-center field before Zobrist grounded to first base. Willson Contreras drove in Rizzo with an infield single, chasing Kuhl from the game.
Right-hander Juan Nicasio relieved Kuhl and struck out Addison Russell before allowing an infield hit to Javier Baez that scored Contreras from second base, giving Chicago a 4-3 lead.
Cubs left-hander Jon Lester didn't fare any better. After allowing three runs in the second, he surrendered a lead-off home run to Andrew McCutchen, his 13th of the season, to left field in the third.
Lester responded by striking out Jung Ho Kang and forcing Starling Marte into a ground out, but allowed a second home run to left when Sean Rodriguez hammered his curveball 412 feet to give the Pirates a 5-4 lead after three innings.
The pendulum continued to swing in the top of the fourth inning.
Nicasio surrendered back-to-back doubles to start the fourth, with the second coming off Rizzo's bat, to tie the game 5-5. After walking Contreras to put runners on first and third with one out, Nicasio was pulled in favor of right-handed pitcher Arquimedes Caminero, who retired his first two batters faced to preserve the 5-5 tie.
McCutchen gave the Pirates their third lead of the game with a two-out double that drove in two runs in the fourth inning, pushing Pittsburgh to a 7-5 advantage.
NOTES: The Cubs moved RF Ben Zobrist, who played second base Friday, to the cleanup spot behind 1B Anthony Rizzo. Zobrist hit lead-off in Chicago's 8-4 loss Friday. ... Tommy La Stella replaced Zobrist at second base. La Stella failed to get on base when he pinch-hit on Friday. ... Cubs C Willson Contreras moved back behind the plate on Saturday after starting in left field Friday. Kris Bryant transitioned from right to left field. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte was named to the National League's All-Star team as an injury replacement Saturday. Marte led Pittsburgh with a .316 batting average entering Saturday. ... Pittsburgh 3B Jung Ho Kang returned to the lineup and hit cleanup after taking a day off Friday. David Freese, who played third in place of Kang on Friday, moved across the diamond to first base. ... Pirates C Eric Fryer replaced Erik Kratz behind the plate to catch RHP Chad Kuhl in his third major league start. ... Pirates C Francisco Cervelli took part in batting practice on Saturday. He has not played since breaking the hamate bone in his left hand against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 10.