The Cubs got the game-winner in the top of the eighth, when Matt Szczur scored from second on a Kris Bryant single.
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Pittsburgh has won 10 of its past 11 games after taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs in its final series before the break. Twice Sunday, he either tied the game or gave the Pirates the lead.
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell’s introduction to Major League Baseball has been a dream.
The Pirates tied the score at 5-5 after the Cubs failed to turn a double play off a dribbler from Starling Marte in the seventh. Baez could have immediately thrown to second for a double play, but he hesitated, running toward Bell on the basepath between second and third. Major League Baseball also announced that outfielders Marcell Ozuna of Miami and Carlos Gonzalez of Colorado will start for the N.L. They were the highest-ranked N.L. outfielders on the ballots picked by players.
With runners on the corners and one out, Andrew McCutchen drove in Bell with a fly to deep right field.
Watson took the loss for the Pirates, and Cubs reliever Pedro Strop picked up the victory in front of 37,998.
Bell slugged a fifth-inning Warren pitch over the seats perched above the 6.4-meter wall in right for his second pinch-hit in two games since being recalled from Triple-A on Friday.
“Even though the (hitless skid) I felt that I was squaring up some balls and just hitting them hard right at them”, Adams said. “Today, a lead-off at-bat against a guy that’s an experienced guy, to stretch that out, it was good to see”.
In Kansas City, Salvador Perez homered and made a key pickoff throw to help lead the Royals to the win. They scored three times against Cubs starter John Lackey, who yielded five earned runs and five walks in his previous start against Cincinnati.
“I told Ray a couple of days ago that I knew I wasn’t going to start another game before the break, so if something happened, I would be available”.
Polanco is enjoying a strong first half of the campaign aside the injury issues. “We weren’t walking away with our head down and feeling sorry for ourselves after getting beat through June”.
The Chicago Cubs could use a win in order to snap a tough five-game losing streak.
“A mental break is what we need”. “The combination of the schedule and, more specifically, the last week with the way games were scheduled, it put us in a fatigue situation”.
Chicago will counter Niese with left-handed pitcher John Lackey, who has struggled lately, just as the rest of the Cubs have.
David Freese had a solo home run, his 10th, off Arrieta and Sean Rodriguez added a two-run shot in the second inning, his eighth, as the Pirates took a 3-0 lead.
Pirates starter Francisco Liriano went five-plus innings and allowing two runs and three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. In his past six starts, he has a 7.92 ERA and has allowed eight homers and 49 hits. Fowler, who is recovering form a right hamstring strain, played in his first minor-league rehab game for Class A South Bend on Friday.
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That’s why Dexter Fowler should be there for the All-Star festivities after testing his hamstring at Class-A South Bend and wisely withdrawing as a starting outfielder, because the optics of playing in a TV special before rejoining the Cubs lineup would have been bad for an upcoming free agent as well as the organization’s chain of command. He is expected to rejoin Pittsburgh following the break.
