Pirates Pull Off Late Comeback Over Cubs
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates got important at-bats late on and came through with the 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
The Pirates end a three-game losing streak, after losing the last two games vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road and the first game of the series vs. the Cubs, 9-0 on April 29.
They improve to 12-19 overall and 7-8 at home, while the Cubs fall to 18-13 overall and 9-6 on the road.
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz opened up the game with an 114 mph double off the right field wall, giving the home team a chance to take the lead early on.
Right fielder Bryan Reynolds and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen both struckout, but catcher Joey Bart walked and then third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes came through with a blooper that fell for a base hit, scoring Cruz to make it 1-0.
Ke'Bryan Hayes gives the Pirates the lead while extending his hitting streak to 10 games
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 30, 2025
LET'S. GO. pic.twitter.com/OXIpqi9Non
Pirates starting right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski pitched four scoreless innings, despite allowing two hits each in the third and fourth innings, keeping the home team in the lead.
Pittsburgh would load the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Bart doubled, Hayes reached on a single and first baseman Matt Gorski hit a single too.
Left fielder Tommy Pham struck out and then second baseman Jared Triolo flew out to Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
He threw it to Cubs catcher Carson Kelly, who initially appeared to tag out Bart, who didn't slide, but the umpire crew reviewed it and deemed him safe, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Mlodzinski ran into trouble to start the top of the fifth inning, as he allowed a single to Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson and walked third baseman Jon Berti.
Left-handed pitcher Ryan Borucki came in relief for Mlodzinksi and allowed a single to Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, scoring Swanson and cutting the Pirates' lead to 2-1.
Borucki threw a wild pitch, moving Berti to third base and Happ to second base. He got right fielder Kyle Tucker to ground out, which scored Berti and tied it at 2-2, and then threw another wild pitch, scoring Happ and giving the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
The Pirates got something going in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Reynolds doubled and McCutchen walked with one out, but Bart would ground into a double play.
Right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart did a good job over 1.2 innings, aside from allowing a double to Berti in the top of the seventh inning, but left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson came in and got the last out for the Pirates.
Shorstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa would reach first base with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, after Berti missed a grounder at third base.
Cruz struckout swinging, but Reynolds singled and then McCutchen would hit a grounder that ricocheted off of Swanson at shortstop and ran into the outfield, scoring both Kiner-Falefa and Reynolds, giving the Pirates a 4-3 lead.
Andrew McCutchen 2 RBI double!🔥
— Baseball’s Office (@baseballsoffice) May 1, 2025
4-3 Pirates pic.twitter.com/S8uADI2Wk4
A stoppage in play occurred afterwards, following a fan falling from the Roberto Clemente Wall in right field, which measures 21 feet tall. The wall stands in honor of the Hall of Famer.
Ferguson would finish the eighth inning and then right-handed pitcher David Bednar finished off the ninth inning, securing the win and getting a save.
This was the first game this season that the Pirates won after trailing after six innings, losing their previous 14 games.
The Pirates will look to win the series against the Cubs in the finale on May 1. Paul Skenes will make the start with first pitch set for 12:35 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.