The Cubs and Pirates played the second game of their series at a hot and overcast Wrigley Field Saturday afternoon. Chicago did not squander a great starting pitching performance in this one, producing just enough offense to grab a win.
Tommy Pham jumped on Shōta Imanaga‘s only big mistake to hit a long solo home run that gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning. Carson Kelly had an RBI single against Mike Burrows in the bottom of the frame as the North Siders tied it.
Imanaga had an excellent start yet again, going seven innings allowing only the one run. The Cubs put together the winning rally in the bottom of the 8th with run-scoring singles by Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner that gave them a 3-1 advantage.
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Brad Keller struck out the side in the top of the 9th to pick up the save and give Chicago a much-needed victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
Kyle Tucker singled against lefty Evan Sisk to begin the 8th inning and immediately stole second base to get into scoring position for Suzuki to knock him in and give the Cubs a lead.
Why the Cubs Won
Excellent pitching and some successful hitting with runners in scoring position were enough to earn a win Saturday.
Stats That Matter
- Imanaga continues to make quality starts in the second half: 7 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 6 K, 2 BB.
- Tucker and Suzuki each had a pair of singles.
- Hoerner had two knocks and has been the most consistent hitter this season.
Bottom Line
The Cubs’ starting pitching is giving them a chance to win every day if the offense is willing to cooperate, but the lack of hitting has made victories much more difficult to achieve. The good news, however, is that the bats coming back to life with the rotation rolling like it will mean wins should follow quickly.
On Deck
The deciding game of the series is Sunday afternoon at 1:20pm CT. Javier Assad takes the mound against Andrew Heaney in a matchup available on Marquee with the radio feed on 670 The Score.
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