Through seven innings, Monday’s game at Wrigley Field looked to be more of the same for the continually slumping Pittsburgh Pirates, who were trailing by three, having managed zero runs on the night.
But eighth-inning home runs by Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen sparked a late-game rally, lifting them to a 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.
The Pirates trailed 3-0 in the top of the eighth, having been blanked over seven innings by Cubs starter Jameson Taillon, but after he exited the game, reliever Jorge Lopez allowed consecutive singles to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Gonzales.
That set the stage for Reynolds, who lifted his 22nd homer of the year to center field for a tying, three-run blast.
McCutchen soon followed and crushed his 18th of the year, a solo shot to put the Pirates in front 4-3 while extending his hit streak to 14 games.
“They continued to battle and played hard,” manager Derek Shelton said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “(Kiner-Falefa’s) ball fell and then Nick beats out an infield hit. Bryan does what Bryan does and then (McCutchen) right behind him. … Overall, we kept going.”
Gonzales added an RBI in the ninth to make it 5-3.
Lopez’s brutal outing spoiled a solid start by Taillon, who was sharp and in line for a win.
Jared Jones started for the Pirates (64-73), delivering a quality start, allowing three runs over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision.
Dansby Swanson hit a solo homer to left field to put the Cubs ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third.
Jones, who last just four innings in allowing five runs and two homers to the Cubs last time out, was more effective to start Monday.
Through four innings, he surrendered just two hits, including Swanson’s home run, and struck out four.
The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in the fifth.
Swanson got aboard on a single before Jones hit Pete Crow-Armstrong with a pitch.
With one out, the Pirates just missed a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Miguel Amaya, with shortstop Alika Williams’ toss to second base not in time to erase Crow-Armstrong.
Jared Triolo managed to throw out Amaya at first, but the Cubs soon capitalized with two men on as Mt. Lebanon native Ian Happ ripped a two-out triple down the first-base line to give Chicago a 3-0 advantage.
Jones stayed on to begin the seventh but allowed a leadoff double by Nico Hoerner, with Jalen Beeks soon taking over in the frame. Beeks (7-4, 4.18 ERA), Monday’s winning pitcher, recorded two quick outs, including a strikeout of Crow-Armstrong, to end the inning.
Jones struck out four with a walk while throwing 87 pitches in his second outing since being activated from the injured list Aug. 27.
“Good day,” Jones said postgame. “Just a really good day. Felt good, everything came out the way I wanted it to, pounding the zone for the most part. Can’t complain.”
In the eighth, the Pirates turned to Aroldis Chapman, who got out of the inning via three flyouts.
In the top of the ninth, the Pirates capitalized on a leadoff walk to Triolo, scoring an insurance run when Gonzales singled him home with two outs.
Davis had moved Triolo into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
Dennis Santana then took over on the mound and retired the Cubs in order to pick up his first save in a Pirates uniform.
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