Pirates muscle up on aimless Cubs

[September 27, 2019]    Six players drove in runs Thursday for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who completed a three-game series sweep of the visiting Chicago Cubs with a 9-5 win.

 Cubs starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pablo Reyes hit a two-run triple, Jose Osuna and Melky Cabrera had RBI doubles, and Jacob Stallings, Jake Elmore and Adam Frazier had RBI singles for the Pirates (68-91).

Ian Happ hit a two-run double, Tony Kemp an RBI double, and Nico Hoerner an RBI single for the Cubs (82-77). A night after being eliminated from playoff contention, Chicago dropped its ninth straight.

Pittsburgh starter Joe Musgrove (11-12) struck out eight in six innings, giving up three runs, two earned, and three hits with two walks.

Chicago starter Jose Quintana (13-9) gave up seven runs, five earned, and 12 hits in five innings, striking out four and walking none.

Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead in the first. Cabrera singled and went to third on Osuna's single. Both scored on Reyes' double.

In the third, the Pirates added three more. Kevin Newman and Frazier hit back-to-back base hits up the middle. An out later, Osuna hit a run-scoring double to right, and a second run came home on an error on the play. Osuna was out at home on Reyes' single, but Stallings followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Pittsburgh staged a two-out rally in the fifth. Osuna got an infield single and moved to third on Reyes' double that bounced into the stands. Osuna scored as Stallings reached on shortstop Addison Russell's error. Elmore's base hit drove in Reyes for a 7-0 lead.

The Cubs broke through in the sixth. Pinch hitter Daniel Descalso reached on Stallings' catcher's interference. Kemp walked, and Happ drove in both with a double. An out later, Caratini hit a bloop single, and Jonathan Lucroy's RBI groundout cut it to 7-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Pirates pinch hitter Corbin Joseph doubled and went to third on Newman's groundout. Frazier singled to drive in Joseph, then stole second and scored on Cabrera's double, making it 9-3.

Chicago chipped away some more in the seventh. Kemp's RBI double and Hoerner's RBI single cut it to 9-5.

--Field Level Media

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