Jacob Stallings hits walk-off home run to help Pirates beat Cubs, snap 5-game losing streak

Steven Brault finished the season on a high note, and Jacob Stallings provided the big finish.

After Brault pitched seven scoreless innings, only to see the Pittsburgh Pirates blow a two-run lead, Stallings smacked an Andrew Chafin fastball into the left-field seats for a walk-off home run to lift the Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the first-place Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night at PNC Park.

Stallings’ heroics snapped a five-game losing streak for the Pirates (16-39), who had lost 13 out of 14.

“Obviously that’s a cool moment,” Stallings said. “Frankly, I was never really sure I’d do just because I don’t hit many homers. But, yeah, it’s cool to do it like that in the bottom of the ninth. I know my son will be excited because the fireworks went off, so it’ll be fun to get home and see him.”

In his final start of the season, Brault allowed only two hits but had three walks and hit two batters while striking out six in seven scoreless innings for his second quality start. Over his final two starts, Brault threw 10 consecutive hitless innings and ended the season on a 13-inning scoreless streak, the longest by any Pirates pitcher this season.

“It feels really good,” Brault said. “Honestly, I’ve never finished a big league season on a high note. I’ve always gone into the offseason thinking there’s something I have to work on or something I’ve really got to do. I’m excited to go in this year with kind of the feeling of, like, time to perfect my craft.”

Although Brault was quick to add that he’ll never be perfect, Pirates manager Derek Shelton called Brault’s past two starts “outstanding.”

“Definitely a good sign, really something to build off of the last two starts, going nine and going seven and was in control,” Shelton said. “Nice step for him to end the year.”

The Pirates spotted Brault a two-run lead before he exited, and that was only after Shelton made his way past a blockade of pitchers in the dugout who were running interference for the starter.

Where Cubs starter Jose Quintana pitched only two innings in his first start since returning from the injured list after a dishwashing accident required thumb surgery, Brault was coming off his first career complete game. He didn’t allow a hit or a run in the final six innings of a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Thursday and stretched that streak to 10 innings against the Cubs.

It didn’t come without some obstacles. Brault hit back-to-back batters, Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo, to start the fourth. It worked out in Brault’s favor, however, when he got Javier Baez to hit into a double play. Brault struck out Kyle Schwarber to end the inning.

“But then the focus becomes, ‘Hey, let’s let the defense work. Let’s see if we can get a double play here,’” Brault said, “and we did, and that was a very, very nice feeling.”

Gregory Polanco singled off the glove of second baseman Nico Hoerner into right field, advanced to second on a Jose Quintana wild pitch and scored on a double to right by Erik Gonzalez for a 1-0 lead in the second.

Polanco drew a walk to start the fifth and scored again on Adam Frazier’s one-out double to the right-center gap. Frazier was thrown out trying to extend it to a triple, but the Pirates had a 2-0 lead.

After Chris Stratton walked Contreras with two outs in the eighth, Shelton called for Sam Howard. Rizzo smacked a 2-0 slider 367 feet into the right-field seats for a two-run homer to tie the game at 2-2. It was the first homer against a lefty this season for Rizzo, who was batting .182 against southpaws.

That set the stage for Stallings, who smacked a 2-2 fastball 393 feet into the left-field seats.

“We haven’t had a walk-off homer this year,” Brault said, noting that Stallings had two previous walk-off hits but neither were homers. “But now he’s Mr. Walk-off; he took over the title from (Kevin) Newman. We have a new champion of walk-offs. That was really cool. That was awesome.”