Seiya Suzuki delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 win against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon.
Starting pitcher Shota Imanaga limited Pittsburgh to one run on three hits and struck out six over seven innings to help the Cubs halt a two-game skid.
Reliever Andrew Kittredge (3-3) struck out two and surrendered one hit in one scoreless inning. Brad Keller fanned three batters in the ninth for his first save.
Pirates starter Mike Burrows allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts in five innings.
The Cubs went ahead in the eighth off reliever Evan Sisk (0-1).
Kyle Tucker singled, stole second and scored on Suzuki’s single to center field to stake Chicago to a 2-1 lead. Suzuki went to second on the play and advanced to third on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s sacrifice bunt, ending Sisk’s brief outing.
Yohan Ramirez took over and intentionally walked Ian Happ. Nico Hoerner followed with a double up the middle, bringing in Suzuki for a 3-1 advantage.
Tommy Pham belted a solo homer in the fourth for Pittsburgh’s first hit of the game.
With one out, Pham deposited a splitter from Imanaga over the fence behind the left field seats.
The Cubs tied the game in the bottom half of the inning.
After Tucker singled and Crow-Armstrong drew a two-out walk, Carson Kelly put a single to center field that drove in Tucker. The door was open for more when Happ walked to load the bases, but Chicago couldn’t capitalize, with Hoerner popping out to strand the runners.
Both teams struggled to get going offensively, with the Cubs accounting for the only two hits of the game, both singles, through the first three frames.
Chicago looked like it might threaten in the sixth against reliever Kyle Nicolas when Suzuki singled to lead it off and Crow-Armstrong was hit by a pitch to put two on with nobody out. But the next three batters went out in order to end the inning.
