Paul Skenes lasts just 5 innings, but Pirates top Cubs in 10 innings

It’s a rare occasion when Paul Skenes takes the mound and isn’t the major storyline.

But Friday afternoon in Chicago fit that bill, as Skenes pitched only five frames, tying a season low, in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2-1 win in 10 innings over the Cubs.

Skenes (1.78 ERA) took a no-decision, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out five in a scoreless outing at Wrigley Field.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa produced the winning run in the 10th, scoring automatic runner Adam Frazier with a sacrifice fly.

“They worked Paul pretty good there, as far as running the pitch count up in the third and even throughout, fouling off pitches,” manager Don Kelly said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “When you look at Paul, he comes out after five at (95) pitches but zero runs.

“He’s giving us a chance to win like that.”

Kiner-Falefa also made a critical defensive play in the fifth, gunning down Ian Happ at home plate when he tried to score on a Kyle Tucker double off Skenes.

David Bednar collected his 10th save of the season, retiring the Cubs in order in the bottom of the 10th.

In the eighth, the Pirates (29-42) broke a scoreless tie when Oneil Cruz hit an infield single to bring home Henry Davis, who doubled off the left-field wall.

Up 1-0, Caleb Ferguson entered the game in the bottom of the eighth but couldn’t preserve the lead.

After a walk of Tucker and a Seiya Suzuki single, Pete Crow-Armstrong moved up Tucker to third, and Ferguson was removed in favor of Dennis Santana.

The Cubs then tied the score on an RBI fielder’s choice by Dansby Swanson.

After a scoreless ninth inning, the Pirates and Cubs headed to the 10th, with Kiner-Falefa’s game-winning sacrifice fly coming against Drew Pomeranz (2-1).

Santana (2-1, 1.80 ERA) recorded the win, as the run he allowed in the eighth was charged to Ferguson.

Chicago starter Cade Horton also took a no-decision, allowing no runs over 5 2/3 innings, striking out four with a walk on three hits.

Happ led off the game with a single, but Skenes shut things down from there, recording two strikeouts.

In the third, the Cubs threatened when Reese McGuire singled and Happ walked.

Skenes labored for 35 pitches, and four of five Cubs batters worked a full count, but he escaped damage-free.

“Just made pitches when we needed to,” Skenes said of his outing. “Unfortunately, it took longer than we wanted. We got into some situations that we didn’t want to get into, but executed when we needed to. Five scoreless, it’s not terrible at the end of the day.”

Bryan Reynolds managed a first-inning double off Horton, and the Pirates put a pair on in the fourth, but they were unable to manufacture any runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Michael Busch ripped a two-out double off the left-field wall, but Nico Hoerner grounded out to end the inning, at which point Skenes had thrown 77 pitches.

In the fifth, Skenes’ final inning, a two-out walk to Happ nearly came back to bite him.

Tucker followed with a double into left-center field that was fielded by Cruz. Happ tried to scored, but Cruz fired a one-hop strike to cutoff man Kiner-Falefa, who threw out Happ at home plate to end the inning.

“Those two guys, to connect on that for a one-hop strike to home — it was unbelievable,” Kelly said.

Added Skenes of the play, “It was huge, especially at that time of the game.”

Cruz led off with a single in the sixth and stole second base with no outs.

Andrew McCutchen grounded out to move him to third, but the Pirates were unable to bring Cruz home, locking in Skenes for a no-decision.

Carmen Mlodzinski, making his first appearance since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, relieved Skenes in the sixth and delivered a scoreless frame despite allowing two hits.

He stayed on in the seventh and kept the score tied at 0-0.