Pirates spoil Cubs' home opener, win 8-5

[April 11, 2018]  Felipe Vazquez struck out Javier Baez for the final out of the bottom of the eighth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates continued their hot start with an 8-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Chicago's home opener Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Vazquez, who changed his surname from Rivero on Monday, entered with the bases loaded and a five-run lead and notched his fourth save.

He gave up a two-strike single to Jason Heyward but quickly struck out Baez, who hit a pair of solo homers off Ivan Nova.

Baez recorded his second regular-season multi-homer game. He also hit two homers off Alex Wood in Game 4 of last season's NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Francisco Cervelli hit a three-run homer and Nova (1-1) pitched seven effective innings as the Pirates improved to 8-2 for their best 10-game start since 1992. The Pirates also moved to 4-0 on the road for the first time since 2003.

Sister Jean threw out the first pitch and Loyola-Chicago men's basketball coach Porter Moser along with his players sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch, but it was a festive showing for the Pirates.

Starling Marte added a solo homer off Tyler Chatwood (0-2) while Corey Dickerson had three hits, including a two-run double. Josh Bell also reached base safely for the 10th straight game and added an RBI double while Jordy Mercer chipped in an RBI single.

Nova (1-1) allowed three runs and seven hits. He struck out six without issuing a walk and threw 102 pitches in his 70th career victory.

Kyle Schwarber added an RBI single for the Cubs, who were the last team to play their home opener.

A general shot of Wrigley Field prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Chatwood allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead on a single by Schwarber in the first but missed a chance for more when Willson Contreras was tagged out at third after the Pirates challenged.

Pittsburgh tied the game in the second on a base hit by Mercer, but Baez hit a first-pitch fastball to the last row of the right-field bleachers with two outs in the second for a 2-1 lead. The Pirates took a 4-2 lead on Bell's double to left and Dickerson's double up the middle in the third.

Marte made it 5-1 by lifting a 1-0 fastball into the left-center field seats in the fourth. Cervelli gave the Pirates an 8-2 lead when he drove a four-seam fastball from Mike Montgomery into the center field seats with two outs in the seventh.

Baez hit his second homer by lining a 2-0 fastball into the left-center field seats after Nova retired 14 of the previous 17 hitters.

--Field Level Media

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