LDN - Sports

Cubs beat Pirates to halt five-game skid

[July 11, 2016] PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs were in search of a pick-me-up heading into the All-Star break. They found it Sunday afternoon at PNCPark.

Riding a season-long five-game losing streak and a 1-9 skid in their past 10 games, the Cubs defeated the Pirates 6-5 to avoid a series sweep and reboot for the season's final two months.

Chicago (53-35) heads into the break leading second-place St. Louis by seven games and the Pirates by 7 1/2. Despite the loss Sunday, Pittsburgh (46-43) is 12-4 in its past 16 games and faces a favorable schedule after the break. Six of its next eight series are against teams with losing records.

The Cubs got the game-winner in the top of the eighth, when Matt Szczur scored from second on a Kris Bryant single. Szczur, who pinch-hit, doubled with one out off Pirates reliever Tony Watson. He exalted as he crossed home plate, seemingly relieved that his team was on the brink of victory for the first time in six games.

"We're a bunch of grinders, so that was a good way to end the first half," Szczur said. "We feel good about ourselves."

Watson took the loss for the Pirates, and Cubs reliever Pedro Strop picked up the victory in front of 37,998. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said his team, which features seven All-Stars, can use some time to decompress after struggling the past two weeks.

"We need to get guys rested," Maddon said. "The combination of the schedule and, more specifically, the last week with the way games were scheduled, it put us in a fatigue situation."

The Cubs continued to dominate Pirates starter Jonathon Niese, who entered with an 0-2 record and 8.71 ERA versus Chicago, Niese lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs, eight hits and two walks.

"I'm really done worrying about my mechanics," Niese said. "I'm out there worrying about mechanics, then I'm not executing pitches. So, for me, the arm angle, it is what it is. As long as I'm executing pitches, that's all that matters. So, this All-Star break is going to be good. It's a good reset button. I'm going to go home, enjoy the family and come back in the second half and give it all I got. Just start executing pitches."

In the top of the first, Niese allowed two runs and four hits. Singles by Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras loaded the bases, setting up a one-out, two-run single by Addison Russell. Niese pitched out of a potential disaster by registering back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

Still, it was not enough to fend off the Cubs in the end. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Niese simply needs to keep his pitches down.

"There was too many pitches elevated again today," Hurdle said. "That's really been the one common theme, is location. With better location down, he's been much more efficient. There's ground balls, all those things we saw coming through his strong outings. Ball is elevated in the air."

The Pirates attempted to give Niese a reprieve in the bottom of the second. They scored three times against Cubs starter John Lackey, who yielded five earned runs and five walks in his previous start against Cincinnati. Sean Rodriguez, in the lineup at second base for Josh Harrison, sent a 1-0 pitch 449 feet to dead center for his 10th homer. Pittsburgh added a second run when No. 8 hitter Eric Fryer doubled with one out to score Adam Frazier, who singled and went to second on a throwing error. The Pirates took a 3-2 lead on an RBI single by John Jaso.

In this anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better affair, the Cubs tied it at 3-3 in the top of the third. Bryant led off with a walk and moved to third on a Rizzo double. Contreras drove Bryant home with a groundout to first.

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Cubs third baseman Javier Baez (9) and first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Chicago won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh would take the lead again in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew McCutchen led off by driving a Lackey offering over the center-field wall for his 15th homer of the season. The blast was the 165th of McCutchen's career, tying him with Brian Giles for sixth place on the Pirates' all-time list.

The Cubs roared back in the top of the fourth. After a Javier Baez leadoff walk, Albert Almora Jr. hit his second homer of the season, giving Chicago a 5-4 lead. Niese would not make it out of the inning after yielding back-to-back singles with two outs.

In an effort to add to their lead, the Cubs took a risk in the top of the fifth. Baez attempted to score from first on a double by Almora Jr., only to be thrown out at home to end the inning. Pirates All-Star right fielder Starling Marte hit cut-off man Rodriguez, whose throw easily beat Baez.

Unlike the Cubs, the Pirates found success on a play at the plate in the bottom of the seventh with Lackey (five runs, seven hits in six innings) out of the game. Recent call-up Josh Bell, who hit a grand slam the night before, scored from third on a sacrifice fly by McCutchen, avoiding the tag of catcher Contreras. That tied it at 5-5.

The Cubs, however, would not be denied in the top of the eighth. Szczur and Bryant made sure of it.

"Everybody's going to have a good break because of the win today," Szczur said.

Added Maddon: "We hit the wall a little bit (late in the first half), and everybody is coming after us hard. And I love that. What we just went through will be beneficial to us in the second half."

NOTES: Pirates 2B Josh Harrison did not start Sunday's game against the Cubs after his foot was hit by a pitch the night before. He did, however, pinch-hit in the ninth inning and flew out to center. Sean Rodriguez took his place in the lineup. ... Pittsburgh RF Matt Joyce missed the game due to a quadriceps injury. Adam Frazier subbed for Joyce, who's been filling in for the injured Gregory Polanco (hamstring). Joyce is expected to return after the All-Star break.... The Pirates head into the break with a winning record for a franchise-high sixth consecutive season. ... The Cubs and Pirates will send a combined nine players to the All-Star Game in San Diego. Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler will represent the Cubs. Fowler won't play due to a hamstring injury. Starling Marte and Mark Melancon will represent the Pirates. ... NL home run leader Bryant is the sixth player in Cubs history to reach 25 homers at the break.

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