Alex Bregman went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 12-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on Friday, helping the team stay firmly in the National League Wild Card picture.
Bregman's home run came in the fourth inning, when he drove a 1-2 changeup from reliever Khristian Curtis over the left field wall. It was his 25th home run of the season and his 16th since the All-Star break.
Pittsburgh had jumped ahead early through Oneil Cruz. Dominican infielder Konnor Griffin opened the game with a triple, and Cruz drove him in with a run-scoring single, putting the Pirates up 1-0 after the first two batters.
Cruz arrived at the game in good form. He had hit a home run and driven in another run in Thursday's win over the Chicago White Sox, going 3-for-4 in that game.
Cubs Take Control
Chicago, which had lost its previous four games, answered in the second inning. Bregman opened with a single, and after Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner also reached base, Michael Conforto tied the score with a sacrifice fly.
Carson Kelly then hit a two-run double to left field off rookie Wilber Dotel, driving in Happ and Pedro Ramirez to put Chicago ahead 3-1.
The lead grew in the third inning. Seiya Suzuki singled and scored on a double from Michael Busch, aided by a throwing error from Pittsburgh right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez. Busch later scored when a fly ball from Hoerner to right field turned into a fielder's choice, extending the Cubs' advantage.
In the fourth, Chicago turned the game into a blowout. Suzuki drove in a run with a single, Pete Crow-Armstrong scored on a Busch sacrifice fly, and Bregman capped the inning with his two-run homer.
Suzuki also had a strong day at the plate, finishing with three hits and three runs scored, while Busch ended with three runs batted in. Chicago's offense produced 16 hits in total as the team improved to 82-66 and snapped its four-game losing streak.
Imanaga Settles In
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga allowed Pittsburgh to take the early lead in the first inning but steadied himself afterward, working six innings and allowing two runs on five hits. The win improved his record to 10-10 and extended his dominance over the Pirates, against whom he now stands 4-0 in seven career starts.
Pittsburgh briefly cut into the deficit in the sixth inning, when Bryan Reynolds ended a nine-pitch at-bat with a leadoff home run. It snapped a four-game winning streak for the Pirates, who fell to 74-74.
The loss also brought bad news for Pittsburgh when Valdez felt discomfort in his left hamstring while running out a ground ball in the sixth inning. The rookie needed assistance to leave the field.
Chicago kept adding to its total. Busch drove in another run with a single and Tyrone Taylor added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, while Crow-Armstrong capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the seventh.
Dotel took the loss, his fifth of the season against one win, after allowing three runs on four hits over two innings.
Background
Bregman, a former Houston Astros infielder and 2017 World Series champion, is in his first season with the Cubs. Wrigley Field, the Cubs' home ballpark on Chicago's North Side, opened in 1914 and is one of the oldest stadiums in Major League Baseball. Cruz, a Dominican shortstop known for his power and speed, remains one of the Pirates' key young players.
For Pittsburgh, Cruz finished 1-for-2 with a walk and a run batted in, while Valdez went 0-for-3.
