Double steal in tenth leads to Cubs walk-off of Pirates

Ian Happ drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 3-2 win and take the series against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Automatic runner Vidal Brujan and Kyle Tucker pulled off a double steal with Jon Berti at the plate, and then Happ knocked a single into right field off reliever David Bednar (1-5), scoring Brujan.

Reliever Chris Flexen (4-0) was perfect in the top of the 10th for the win. Starting pitcher Colin Rea allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four in six innings for the Cubs, who won three of the four-game set.

The Pirates have lost consecutive games for the first time since June 1-3.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the first inning. Oneil Cruz led off with a single to right, went to second on a base hit from Nick Gonzales, and scored when Spencer Horwitz connected for a one-out single.

Gonzales made it to third on Horwitz’s hit and came around to make it 2-0 on Alexander Canario’s ground-out.

Chicago responded in the bottom half of the frame. Happ drew a lead-off walk, stole second, and went to third on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s ground-out. He crossed the plate when Seiya Suzuki followed with another groundball out.

Michael Busch knocked a fly ball down the left field line for a ground rule double and Dansby Swanson drove him in with a single to right field to tie it 2-2.

After facing six batters each in the first, Rea and Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller settled down and were efficient through the next five innings. Busch hit a two-out single in the third, the only hit for either side among a combined 27 batters until Horwitz singled to center in the sixth.

Keller gave up two runs on three hits and fanned three in six innings. Horwitz had two of Pittsburgh’s four hits.

Busch and Swanson each collected a pair of hits as the Cubs managed only six in total.

–Field Level Media