It was a windy afternoon on the north side of Chicago, as the Chicago Cubs hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in game two of their four game weekend series. That wind helped five baseballs clear the outfield wall. While Pittsburgh hit one more home run than Chicago, the Cubs would get the best of the Pirates 6-5.
Steven Brault started for Pittsburgh and was hit hard during his four innings on the mound. He would allow five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Chicago got to Brault beginning in the second inning. Michael Hermosillo drove in two runs on a single to left. He would then come around when Frank Schwindel singled to left center. They would plate another run in the third on an Austin Romine single to right center. The fifth run off Brault occurred in the fourth on an Hermosillo solo homer to left center.
Cubs’ starter Alec Mills allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts while pitching 5.2 innings. Both earned runs came in the fifth on solo home runs from Anthony Alford and Hoy Park. The Pirates would tie the game in the sixth with some help from the Chicago defense. A throwing error on a ball hit by Michael Perez would allow Colin Moran to score from second. Perez would be on base when Alford hit his second home run of the day to tie the game at five.
After Anthony Banda pitched a scoreless fifth inning, Shelby Miller would be on the mound when the Cubs scored the winning run in the sixth. Schwindel would hit a 370 ft. home run to left center for what would be the final run of the day. The Chicago bullpen covered the final 3.3 innings and kept the Pittsburgh offense quiet in the process.
While the Cubs may have a better record than the Pirates, this had to be a series that Pittsburgh thought they could grab a couple wins from. Even after dropping games one and two, they can still get a split by taking both remaining weekend games. It will be another afternoon contest tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 2:20pm.
Record vs. Cubs: 4-10
Record vs. N.L. Central: 17-45
Record on the Road: 20-49
Overall Record: 48-87
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
