Pirates earn walk-off win after Cubs clinch playoff bid

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[September 23, 2020]    Jacob Stallings' home run in the ninth inning Tuesday gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs, ending the Pirates' five-game losing streak.

 

While the game was in the eighth inning, the Cubs clinched a playoff spot when the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies to complete a doubleheader sweep.

Pittsburgh (16-39) blew a 2-0 lead before Stallings' one-out blast to left field off Andrew Chafin (1-2). It was Stallings' third homer this year and third career walk-off hit.

Erik Gonzalez and Adam Frazier each added an RBI double for the Pirates.

Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Chicago (32-23), which has lost three of four.

Pittsburgh left-hander Steven Brault, making his final start of the year and 100th career appearance, had a second straight stellar performance. He gave up two hits over seven scoreless innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

Brault was coming off his first career complete game, Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Richard Rodriguez (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth.

Chicago starter Jose Quintana, who was activated from the injured list earlier in the day, was used in an opener's role. He pitched two innings, giving up one run and two hits with one strikeout and no walks.

He was followed by Adbert Alzolay, who lasted twice as long. He yielded one run and two hits in four innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.

With two outs in the second, Gregory Polanco singled to right and went to second on a wild pitch by Quintana. Gonzalez doubled to the corner in right to drive in Polanco and give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Polanco drew a leadoff walk. After Gonzalez struck out, Frazier brought Polanco home with a double to right-center to make it 2-0, but Frazier was thrown out trying to reach third.

In the eighth, Pirates reliever Chris Stratton got two outs before Willson Contreras singled to right. Sam Howard replaced Stratton and gave up Rizzo's 10th homer, to right, for a 2-2 tie.

--Field Level Media

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