Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates
· Major League Baseball
7 - 2
Happ homers again and Skenes loses his 3rd straight start as the Cubs sink the Pirates 7-2
The win came one night after the Cubs ended a 10-game losing streak. Happ hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning of that game.
Happ had three hits on Thursday, including a two-run homer in the eighth that pushed the Cubs’ lead to 5-2. He has reached base safely in 41 consecutive games in Pittsburgh, the city where he grew up. Seiya Suzuki had two hits and two RBI for Chicago.
Skenes (6-5) lost his third straight start despite striking out 10 in 5 1/3 innings. The 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner fanned six batters in a row from the first to the third.
Only one of the three runs against Skenes was earned, as third baseman Tyler Callihan and shortstop Jared Triolo made throwing errors in a two-run sixth inning that extended the Cubs’ lead to 3-0.
Colin Rea (5-3) won for the first time in five starts, allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Hoby Milner, Caleb Thielbar and Trent Thornton combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Bryan Reynolds homered for the Pirates.
Pittsburgh third baseman Nick Gonzales exited after the third inning with left knee discomfort.
Pirates: Host the Minnesota Twins and former Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton in a three-game series beginning Friday. Pirates RHP Jared Jones will make his first major league appearance since 2024, a little more than a year after undergoing elbow surgery. RHP Taj Bradley (5-1, 2.77) starts for the Twins.
How can I watch Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates?
- TV Channel: Cubs at Pirates 2022 MLB Baseball, is broadcasted on MLB.TV.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
9th Inning | Horwitz flied out to right. |
|
9th Inning | Davis grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Triolo out at second. |
|
9th Inning | Triolo singled to left. |
 |
9th Inning | Suzuki struck out swinging. |
|
9th Inning | Happ lined out to second. |
|
9th Inning | Cubs challenged (tag play), call on the field was overturned: Alex Bregman reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by first baseman Spencer Horwitz. Pete Crow-Armstrong scores. Nico Hoerner to 3rd. |
Statistics
 CHC |
 PIT |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Games Played | 1 |
| 1 | Team Games Played | 1 |
| 0 | Hit By Pitch | 1 |
| 10 | Ground Balls | 10 |
| 14 | Strikeouts | 8 |
| 5 | Runs Batted In | 2 |
| 0 | Sacrifice Hit | 0 |
| 8 | Hits | 6 |
| 0 | Stolen Bases | 0 |
| 6 | Walks | 5 |
| 0 | Catcher Interference | 0 |
| 7 | Runs | 2 |
| 0 | Ground Into Double Play | 1 |
| 0 | Sacrifice Flies | 0 |
| 36 | At Bats | 31 |
| 1 | Home Runs | 1 |
| 0 | Grand Slam Home Runs | 0 |
| 15 | Runners Left On Base | 13 |
| 0 | Triples | 0 |
| 1 | Game Winning RBIs | 0 |
| 0 | Intentional Walks | 0 |
| 0 | Doubles | 2 |
| 12 | Fly Balls | 13 |
| 0 | Caught Stealing | 1 |
| 181 | Pitches | 162 |
| 0 | Games Started | 0 |
| 1 | Pinch At Bats | 0 |
| 0 | Pinch Hits | 0 |
| 0.0 | Player Rating | 0.0 |
| 1 | Is Qualified | 1 |
| 0 | Is Qualified In Steals | 1 |
| 11 | Total Bases | 11 |
| 42 | Plate Appearances | 37 |
| 162.0 | Projected Home Runs | 162.0 |
| 1 | Extra Base Hits | 3 |
| 4.2 | Runs Created | 3.3 |
| .222 | Batting Average | .194 |
| .000 | Pinch Hit Average | .000 |
| .306 | Slugging Percentage | .355 |
| .250 | Secondary Average | .290 |
| .333 | On Base Percentage | .324 |
| .639 | OBP Pct + SLG Pct | .679 |
| 0.8 | Ground To Fly Ball Ratio | 0.8 |
| 4.0 | Runs Created Per 27 Outs | 3.3 |
| 35.0 | Batter Rating | 21.0 |
| 36.0 | At Bats Per Home Run | 31.0 |
| 0.00 | Stolen Base Percentage | 0.00 |
| 4.31 | Pitches Per Plate Appearance | 4.38 |
| .083 | Isolated Power | .161 |
| 0.43 | Walk To Strikeout Ratio | 0.63 |
| .143 | Walks Per Plate Appearance | .135 |
| .028 | Secondary Average Minus Batting Average | .097 |
| 12.0 | Runs Produced | 4.0 |
| 0.7 | Runs Ratio | 1.0 |
| 0.4 | Patience Ratio | 0.5 |
| 0.3 | Balls In Play Average | 0.2 |
| 81.0 | MLB Rating | 73.0 |
| 0.0 | Offensive Wins Above Replacement | 0.0 |
| 0.0 | Wins Above Replacement | 0.0 |
Game Information
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 19,121 | Capacity:
2026 National League Central Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <img src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/mil.png" class="logo-micro">Milwaukee | 37 | 21 | .638 | - | W3 |
| <img src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/pit.png" class="logo-micro">Pittsburgh | 33 | 28 | .541 | 5.5 | W4 |
| <img src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/stl.png" class="logo-micro">St. Louis | 31 | 28 | .525 | 6.5 | L2 |
| <img src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/chc.png" class="logo-micro">Chicago | 32 | 29 | .525 | 6.5 | L2 |
| <img src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/cin.png" class="logo-micro">Cincinnati | 31 | 29 | .517 | 7 | W1 |