Pirates Roughed Up By Cubs Again 7-2, Swept in Three-Game Series

RECAP

Johan Oviedo gave up four runs in 4.1 innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Cubs 7-2 on Thursday night as Chicago completed a three-game series sweep at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs scored three runs off Oviedo (3-6) and two off rookie left-handed reliever Jose Hernandez in a five-run fifth inning. That turned the Pirates’ 2-1 lead into a 6-2 deficit.

Jason Delay had two of the National League Central-leading Pirates’ six hits.

The Pirates (34-33) have lost six of their last eight games since a six-game winning streak. The Cubs (31-37) have won five of their last six.

KEY MOMENT

Ian Happ hit an RBI double off Oviedo with one out in the third inning to draw the Cubs into a 2-2 tie. That opened the door for Chicago’s five-run outburst.

STAR OF THE GAME

Happ went 3 for 5 with a double and a triple. The Mount Lebanon graduate also scored two runs and drove in two.

NOTABLE STAT

28. Total runs allowed by the Pirates in the series.

NOTEWORTHY

• LF Bryan Reynolds’ seven-game hitting streak and 12-game on-base streak ended as he went 0 for 4.
• DH Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 3 with a walk and has a .409 on-base percentage over his last 25 games.
• Oviedo had a 2.62 ERA in his previous six starts.
• Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman (8-4) got the win as he gave up two runs in six innings. Like Happ, DH Christopher Morel had three hits and two RBIs for Chicago.
• RHP Colin Holderman was placed on the 15-day injured list before the game with right wrist inflammation and RHP Yerry De Los Santos was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. De Los Santos allowed one run in 1.1 innings of relief.

UP NEXT

In a showdown for first place in the NL Central, the Pirates open a three-game series the Brewers at 8:10 p.m. Friday at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The Pirates are in first place by 0.5 game over the Brewers.

LHP Rich Hill (6-5, 4.23) is scheduled to start for the Pirates against RHP Julio Teheran (1-2, 1.48). Hill threw 119 pitches last Friday, the most by an MLB pitcher this season, and allowed two runs in seven innings in beating the New York Mets at PNC Park.