Pirate Shake Losing Streak With 3-1 Victory Over Cubs
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PITTSBURGH (AP) - Joe Musgrove cruised through seven innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.
Musgrove (5-7) allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts. He has gone seven innings and surrendered two runs or fewer in four of his past five starts.
Pittsburgh won for the second time in eight games. The first-place Cubs had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Felipe Vazquez retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the ninth inning for his 27th save.
The Pirates' three runs came in the second inning, when Adam Frazier had an RBI double after Josh Bell and Francisco Cervelli walked to start the inning. That ended Pittsburgh's streak of 24 innings without a run scored.
Frazier's double off Tyler Chatwood (4-6) drove in Bell from second and gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead. A groundout from Colin Moran scored Cervelli before Adeiny Hechavarria hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Frazier to score and make it 3-0.
Musgrove got out of a jam with the Pirates leading 3-1 in the fifth inning. He allowed consecutive one-out singles by Wilson Contreras and Tommy La Stella, but with runners on the corners Musgrove struck out Addison Russell and got Ben Zobrist to fly out to end the inning.
Chatwood, who has walked 93 batters in 101 2/3 innings this season, lasted just two innings before being pulled after walking Corey Dickerson to lead off the third. He threw 37 pitches (21 strikes) and allowed the three runs on two hits with three walks.
Before Chatwood exited, Zobrist homered to right field, cutting the Pirates' lead to 3-1 in the third.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Zobrist replaced OF Ian Happ in the lineup. Happ entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and reached first on an error by Frazier before taking over in center field in the bottom half of the inning. Happ had one of Chicago's six hits Friday, but struck out twice in four at-bats.
Pirates: After losing 1-0 for a second straight game Friday, Pittsburgh made two lineup adjustments, with Frazier replacing Josh Harrison at second base and Moran taking over for David Freese at third. Harrison, who had an error in the sixth inning, and Freese were a combined 1 for 7 Friday.
UP NEXT
Cubs: LHP Jose Quintana (10-9, 4.46) will attempt to regain his form when he takes the mound for the series finale against the Pirates on Sunday. In his past four starts, Quintana has allowed at least five runs three times, including in each of his past two appearances.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (9-9, 3.66) will bring momentum from his recent starts when he faces the Cubs on Sunday. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 straight starts since surrendering six on eight hits in a 7-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on May 22.
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