Cubs beat Pirates to halt five-game skid
PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs were in search of a pick-me-up heading into the All-Star break. They found it Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.
Riding a season-long five-game losing streak and a 1-9 skid in their past 10 games, the Cubs defeated the Pirates 6-5 to avoid a series sweep and reboot for the season's final two months.
Chicago (53-35) heads into the break leading second-place St. Louis by 7 1/2 games, pending the outcomes of the Cardinals' game Sunday, and the Pirates by 7 1/2. Despite the loss Sunday, Pittsburgh (46-43) is 12-4 in its past 16 games and faces a favorable schedule after the break. Six of its next eight series are against teams with losing records.
The Cubs wasted little time touching up Pirates starter Jonathon Niese, whose struggles against the Cubs this season continued. Entering with an 0-2 record and 8.71 ERA versus Chicago, Niese allowed two runs and four hits in the top of the first. Singles by Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras loaded the bases, setting up a one-out, two-run single by Addison Russell. Niese pitched out of a potential disaster by registering back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second, the Pirates scored three times against Cubs starter John Lackey, who yielded five earned runs and five walks in his previous start against Cincinnati. Sean Rodriguez, in the lineup at second base for the injured Josh Harrison, sent a 1-0 pitch 449 feet to dead center for his 10th homer. Pittsburgh added a second run when No. 8 hitter Eric Fryer doubled with one out to score Adam Frazier, who singled and went to second on a throwing error. The Pirates took a 3-2 lead on an RBI single by John Jaso.
In this anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better affair, the Cubs tied it at 3-3 in the top of the third. Kris Bryant led off with a walk and moved to third on a Rizzo double. Contreras drove Bryant home with a groundout to first.
Pittsburgh would take the lead again in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew McCutchen led off by driving a Lackey offering over the center-field wall for his 15th homer of the season. The blast was the 165th of McCutchen's career, tying him with Brian Giles for sixth place on the Pirates' all-time list.
The Cubs roared back in the top of the fourth. After a Javier Baez leadoff walk, Albert Almora Jr. hit his second homer of the season, giving Chicago a 5-4 lead. Niese would not make it out of the inning after yielding back-to-back singles with two outs. He went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs, eight hits and two walks.
In an effort to add to their lead, the Cubs took a risk in the top of the fifth. Baez attempted to score from first on a double by Almora Jr., only to be thrown out at home to end the inning. Pirates All-Star right fielder Starling Marte hit cut-off man Rodriguez, whose throw easily beat Baez.
Unlike the Cubs, the Pirates found success on a play at the plate in the bottom of the seventh with Lackey (five runs, seven hits in six innings) out of the game. Recent call-up Josh Bell, who hit a grand slam the night before, scored from third on a sacrifice fly by McCutchen, avoiding the tag of catcher Contreras. That tied it at 5-5.
The Cubs, however, would not be denied in the top of the eighth. With Tony Watson pitching in relief, pinch hitter Matt Szcuzur doubled and scored on a single by Zobrist for a 6-5 lead. The outcome was pretty much academic from there, as the Cubs were 48-1 when leading after eight innings.
NOTES: Pirates 2B Josh Harrison did not start Sunday’s game after his foot was hit by a pitch the night before. He did, however, pinch-hit in the ninth inning and flew out to center. Sean Rodriguez took his place in the lineup. ... Pirates RF Matt Joyce missed Sunday's game due to minor injuries. Both Harrison and Joyce are expected to be at full health after the All-Star break. Adam Frazier subbed for Joyce, who's been filling in for the injured Gregory Polanco (hamstring). ... The Pirates head into the All-Star break with a winning record for a franchise-high sixth consecutive season. ... The Cubs and Pirates will send a combined nine players to the All-Star Game in San Diego. RHP Jake Arrieta, LHP Jon Lester, 3B Kris Bryant, 1B Anthony Rizzo, SS Addison Russell, 2B Ben Zobrist and OF Dexter Fowler will represent the Cubs. Fowler won't play due to a hamstring injury. OF Starling Marte and RHP Mark Melancon will represent the Pirates. ... NL home run leader Bryant is the sixth player in Cubs history to reach 25 homers at the break.