For a stretch during the summer, the Pittsburgh Pirates were finding success at home. It hasn’t continued as the Pirates dropped their second game to the Chicago Cubs and their eighth in a row.
Following a 3-for-3 game, Bryan Reynolds got the Pirates on top early with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.
With an early lead, Bryse Wilson went about his normal routine. Ian Happ lead off the second inning for the Cubs with a double, and was brought home on a Patrick Wisdom home run to flip the score in favor of the Cubs at 2-1.
Jack Suwinski knotted things up at two in the bottom half of the second with his 17th HR of the season. Suwinski would go 1-for-1 on the night with three walks, after going 0-for-8 in the last two games.
The offense doubled their run total in the bottom of the third when Reynolds reached on an error, and then Cal Mitchell and Kevin Newman hit back-to-back doubles for a 4-2 lead.
Bryse Wilson would get through five innings and only give up two earned runs. He allowed five hits with three walks and five strike outs. By Wilson standards this would be considered a gem.
Clearly exhausted, Wil Crowe came out for the sixth inning and would leave after only being able to register one out. Crowe loaded the bases with one out and walked in a run to make it 4-3 before leaving for Manny Banuelos. Banuelos brought in for a lefty on lefty matchup walked in another run to tie the game, before giving up an RBI single. With the Pirates now down a run, the inning almost got out of hand when Banuelos spiked a fastball that deflected straight up off of Zack Collins. Banuelos caught it in the air while running home and tagged Christopher Morel as he was racing home for the final out.
Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh inning, Reynolds connected for his new career season high 25th HR to tie the game at five. Reynolds has gone on another hot streak bringing his OPS up to .807 by games end.
Yohan Ramirez pitched the 8th inning and after Ji-Hwan Bae threw out a runner at home for the second out, Ramirez then gave up a single to score the go-ahead run.
Chase De Jong threw a scoreless ninth inning and the Pirates tried to make things interesting at the end. With one out, Bae hit a single up the middle for his first career MLB hit. He then stole 2B for his second stolen base of the game, and ended the night 1-for-3 with a walk. Rodolfo Castro drew a walk with two outs to load the bases, bringing up Cal Mitchell who was unable to come through, striking out to end the game 6-5.
Cubs @ Pirates
Time: 6:35 PM EST
Pirates Starter: Johan Oviedo (3-2, 3.69)
Cubs Starter: Wade Miley (1-1, 3.48)
Oviedo Notes: This will be Johan Oviedo’s fifth start for the Pirates. After shutting out the Cincinnati Reds on one hit, Oviedo only lasted four innings against the New York Mets with three earned runs. Since coming to the Pirates he has struggled with his control. In 13.2 IP with Pittsburgh he has struck out 16 batters while also walking 14 and hitting a batter.
LINEUPS:
Pirates
Our Saturday night lineup.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/z2e94HOO2q
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2022
Cubs
Here is tonight's #Cubs starting lineup in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/269bAXuI3c
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 24, 2022
