Taillon shines, Busch and Crow-Armstrong homer as Cubs beat Pirates 4-0
to close on playoffs berth
[September 16, 2025]
By JOHN PERROTTO
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jameson Taillon allowed two hits in
six innings, and Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong homered as the
Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on Monday night and got
closer to clinching a postseason berth.
Chicago (86-64) opened a four-game lead over San Diego
for the top NL wild card and trails NL Central-leading Milwaukee by five
games with 12 games remaining. The Cubs won for the fifth time in six
games and sent the Pirates to their ninth loss in 10 games. |
Chicago Cubs right fielder Willi Castro gets set for a pitch in right
field of PNC Park, where in honor of Roberto Clemente Day a No. 21 is
painted on the grass, during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh
Pirates in Pittsburgh, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) |
|
Taillon (10-6) struck out out three and walked
two, retiring 15 of 16 batters during a stretch from the first
until the sixth. He is 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA since returning Aug.
18 from a strained left groin.
Michael Soroka, Porter Hodge, and Brad Keller finished a
three=hitter, the Cubs’ 14th shutout, with Keller getting one
out for his second save this season.
Busch homered in the second, his 28th this season, and Nico
Hoerner scored on a wild pitch later in the inning by Braxton
Ashcraft (4-3), who gave up three runs and six hits in four
innings.
Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson hit consecutive doubles in the
fourth, and Crow-Armstrong connected for his 29th homer in the
sixth against Cam Sanders.
Key moment
Keller reliever with the bases loaded and struck out Jared
Triolo.
Key stat
Chicago is 13-9 in a stretch of 24 consecutive games against
teams with sub-.500 records.
Up next
Cubs rookie RHP Cade Horton (10-4, 2.70 ERA) faces RHP Paul
Skenes (10-9, 1.92), the major league ERA leader, on Tuesday
night.
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