Pirates saddle sinking Cubs with seventh straight loss

[September 25, 2019]  Kevin Kramer hit a two-run double and Adam Frazier had two hits and an RBI in a seven-run seventh inning Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the visiting Chicago Cubs 9-2.

Pittsburgh (66-91) ended a nine-game losing streak and left the Cubs (82-75) with a seven-game losing streak and playoff hopes down to nearly nil.

Erik Gonzalez added a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.

Nico Hoerner drove in both runs for the Cubs, who committed five errors, including two in the Pirates' big seventh and two by Hoerner.

Pittsburgh rookie starter Mitch Keller struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run and seven hits and walking two.

Francisco Liriano (5-3) pitched a scoreless, hitless seventh.

Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (11-10) gave up six runs (five earned) and six hits in six-plus innings, with five strikeouts and no walks.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on Hoerner's RBI double.

Hendricks no-hit the Pirates for 5 1/3 innings before Kevin Newman singled and got picked off by Hendricks.

But Pittsburgh got to Hendricks in the seventh. Frazier led off with a sharp double to right-center. Jose Osuna reached on an infield single, and Colin Moran's base hit tied it 1-1.

Jacob Stallings singled to shallow right-center to load the bases before Kramer drove in two with a double to right for a 3-1 lead.

Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Gonzalez reached on Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist's fielding error and another run came home to make it 5-1.

That chased Hendricks before there was an out in the inning.

Against David Phelps, Pablo Reyes singled and Newman reached on a fielder's choice, Gonzalez going to third.

Danny Hultzen relieved, and his error on Bryan Reynolds' potential double-play grounder allowed Gonzalez to score for a 6-1 edge. Frazier followed with an RBI single. Osuna walked to load the bases. Hultzen struck out Moran before leaving in favor of James Norwood, who got Stallings to pop out.

Hoerner's two-out RBI single in the eighth closed it to 7-2. Gonzalez smacked his first homer of the year, a two-run shot, in the eighth to make it 9-2.

--Field Level Media

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