Pirates Blow 5-Run Lead in Series Finale vs. Cubs; Lowe’s 2 Homers Not Enough
Brandon Lowe hit a grand slam as part of a two-homer game but the Pittsburgh Pirates blew a five-run lead and were walked-off 7-6 by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Scoring Plays
Top 1st, 1-0 PIT: Oneil Cruz took Jameson Taillon deep to right field for the fifth leadoff home run of his career to give the Pirates (9-6) an immediate lead.
Top 2nd, 5-0 PIT: With two outs in the inning, Brandon Lowe connected on a grand slam to right-center off Taillon.
Bottom 3rd, 5-2 PIT: Dansby Swanson and Moisés Ballesteros each tagged solo home runs off Pirates starter Bubba Chandler to get the Cubs (7-8) on the board.
Top 5th, 6-2 PIT: Lowe blasted his second home run of the game and fifth of the season — a solo shot again off Taillon. The homer measured 444 feet to right-center.
Bottom 5th, 6-3 PIT: With runners on the corners and one out, Alex Bregman hit a sac fly to left off Chandler to answer the Pirates’ run in the top of the frame.
Bottom 7th, 6-4 PIT: With the bases loaded and one out, Swanson scored on a Bregman sac fly to second base (you read that right) against Hunter Barco. Lowe caught the popup but fell to the ground and Swanson raced home.
Bottom 8th, 6-6: With two on and two outs, pinch-hitter Michael Busch dumped an RBI single over the head of shortstop Konnor Griffin. Left fielder Bryan Reynolds delivered an errant throw back in which allowed the tying run to score.
Bottom 9th, 7-6 CHC: With the bases loaded and one out, Carson Kelly drilled one over the head of Cruz in center field off José Urquidy (0-1) for the game-winner.
Key Moment
Justin Lawrence issued two walks in the bottom of the eighth inning. The pair of free passes proved costly as both runners came around to score and tie the game.
Player of the Game
Brandon Lowe had a two-homer game for the second time this season. He also went deep twice against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Opening Day. His five RBI are the most he’s had in a game since June 4, 2024 against the Miami Marlins (also five).
Stat to Know
Oneil Cruz extended his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in baseball and tied for the longest of his career. He is hitting .400 (18-for-45) with eight extra-base hits and 13 RBI during the streak.
Notable Performances
- Bubba Chandler: 5.1 innings, five hits, three runs, two walks, four strikeouts, 91 pitches/64 strikes
- Brandon Lowe: 2 for 4, two home runs, five RBI, two runs, one walk
- Oneil Cruz: 1 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one run, one steal, one walk
- Ryan O’Hearn: 2 for 4
Noteworthy
- The Pirates haven’t swept the Cubs since 2019 and haven’t swept them at Wrigley since 2017.
- Bubba Chandler became the first Pirates pitcher to throw more than 90 pitches in a start this season.
- Former Pirates infielder and 1979 World Series champion Phil Garner died on Saturday at the age of 76.
Up Next
The Pirates return to PNC Park to face the Washington Nationals for the start of a seven-game homestand on Monday night. RHP Paul Skenes (2-1, 5.25 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh against RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 2.51 ERA). First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh/93.7 The Fan.
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Lawrence is killing us
Ozuna also killing us, man I miss Cutch! But the manager lost this game. Soto should have come in to face the lefty pinch hitter, no excuse for leaving Lawrence in there.
Not when your winning 6-2 with 3 hr Ozuna had nothing to do with losing. Ozuna in 23 started slow for the Bravs and had something like 40 hrs and 100 RBI season. He will come around
I agree that the manager lost the game. If the Bucs are winning and have a game within reach, use the primary relievers. I don’t care if they go 3 – 4 games in a row. They are professionals. That’s their job. Most times they throw only an inning at a time. They should be able to pitch more than 2 games straight. Looking at the 1979 Pirate stats (because of Phil Garners passing), I see that Kent Tekulve had 134 innings pitched and Enrique Romo had 129 all in relief! That’s more than some starters get now a-days. Can’t always go by analytics. Old school ways win games too.