Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 win against the host Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Kiner-Falefa hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off reliever Drew Pomeranz (2-1) to bring in Adam Frazier, the automatic runner.
Reliever Dennis Santana (2-1) was perfect through 1 2/3 innings in the eighth and ninth innings for the Pirates, who have won six of their past eight games. David Bednar got Chicago out in order in the bottom of the 10th for the save.
The Cubs have lost four of their past six.
Pittsburgh broke a scoreless tie in the top of the eighth off reliever Brad Keller. Henry Davis knocked a lead-off double and advanced to third on Kiner-Falefa’s sacrifice bunt. Davis then scored when Oneil Cruz reached on a fielder’s choice to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Chicago tied it 1-1 in the bottom half after Kyle Tucker led off with a walk against reliever Caleb Ferguson. Dansby Swanson brought him home three batters later with a fielder’s choice off Santana.
Pirates ace Paul Skenes allowed four hits and struck out five in five innings before Carmen Mlodzinski replaced him to start the sixth.
It then looked like the Cubs were going to take advantage. Seiya Suzuki led off with a single and Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with a base hit, giving the hosts two on with nobody out. But Swanson grounded into a double play and Michael Busch flied out to end the inning.
Chicago had one of its best chances against Skenes in the bottom of the fifth, only to be denied at the plate. Ian Happ drew a two-out walk and tried to come all the way around on Tucker’s double but was tagged out at home on quick throws from Cruz to Kiner-Falefa to Davis.
The Pirates and Cubs each collected a hit in the first and had two baserunners in an inning just once through the first four frames.
Chicago starter Cade Horton gave up three hits and fanned four in 5 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
