Surging Pirates Beat Cubs 7-3
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Gerrit Cole won consecutive starts for the first time since early June, NL batting leader Josh Harrison had three hits and the surging Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3 Friday night for their seventh win in eight games.
Cole (9-5) improved to 5-0 against the Cubs, allowing three runs, five hits and one walk in six innings with six strikeouts. He also won at Wrigley Field last weekend.
Cole's only other consecutive winning starts this year were April 4 and 10, and May 29 and June 3.
Pittsburgh is 14-7 since Aug. 20, moving a season-high nine games over .500 at 78-69. The Pirates, who were eight games under as late as May 21 (18-26), began the night with a 1 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee for the second NL wild card.
Harrison raised his average to .318 while scoring a pair of runs from the leadoff spot. Jordy Mercer also had three hits and drove in three runs for Pittsburgh, including a two-run single in the sixth that made it 6-3.
Neil Walker had a pair of RBI singles for the Pirates, who had 14 hits.
Rookies Javier Baez and Arismendy Alcantara, homered for the Cubs, who have lost seven straight in their longest skid since 2012. Baez had hit .103 in his previous 10 games and Alcantara batted .130 in his past 14.
Tsuyoshi Wada (4-3) gave up four runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings.
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