PITTSBURGH — Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski supplied the homers. Ji Hwan Bae picked up his first MLB hit and stole two bases, and the Pirates showed plenty of fight during Friday's game against the Cubs. Shoot, Oneil Cruz even drove one to the warning track in the ninth, giving the hearty souls still watching some happy thoughts of a potential walk-off win.
But a wobbly bullpen and far too many walks — nine total — ultimately cost the Pirates during a 6-5 loss to Chicago, which stretched Pittsburgh's losing streak to eight. The Pirates actually loaded the bases in the final inning before Cal Mitchell struck out swinging to end it.
The Pirates wasted five innings of two-run ball from Bryse Wilson, as they could not protect a 4-2 lead. After Reynolds tied it with a homer in the seventh, more inefficient work from the bullpen — this time, Yohan Ramirez — cost the Pirates, who fell to 55-96.
Facing Ramirez, the Cubs had runners on second and third with one out following a sacrifice bunt. That's when second baseman Esteban Quiroz pushed a 97-mph sinker into left field, scoring the final run Chicago would need.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, it wiped out Reynolds’ impressive bomb a half-inning earlier, as the Pirates center fielder picked up his career-high 25th. It came on an elevated fastball, a pitch he loves to drive, and Reynolds sent it 414 feet to the shrubbery in center field.
With the Pirates clinging to a two-run lead and Wilson out of the game after 89 pitches, the game first rumbled off the tracks in the sixth inning, starting with Wil Crowe walking three of the first five hitters he faced.
The final one of those, pinch-hitter Franmil Reyes, brought home a run. The issue was not solved whenever manager Derek Shelton brought in Manny Banuelos to pitch to Cubs shortstop Zach McKinstry, as the Pirates lefty followed with a free pass of his own to tie the game at 4.
Speaking of Crowe, he could be feeling some fatigue. He's been scored upon in four of his last eight appearances, permitting 14 earned runs over his last 7 2/3 innings. Crowe has allowed 16 hits (four homers) and 11 walks during that time.
Quiroz pushed the Cubs in front by chopping an infield single toward second base before the Pirates used some luck to escape additional damage. A Banuelos change-up that new catcher Zack Collins couldn’t corral popped up in the air. Christopher Morel, pinch-running for Reyes, tried to score.
However, the pitch went up and down in enough time for Banuelos to catch it and tag Morel on the leg for the third out.
Honored by Neil Walker with the Pirates’ Heart & Hustle Award before Friday’s game, Reynolds gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Cruz drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third thanks to an error on Cubs catcher P.J. Higgins.
Reynolds then shot a 94-mph fastball up the middle to score the run.
The Cubs regained the lead in the top of the second, however, as Patrick Wisdom took advantage of a Wilson mistake. Chicago’s right fielder got a 1-0 slider up and in and drove his 24th home run of the season out to left. It was the 19th home run Wilson has allowed in 23 games (19 starts) this season.
Give Wilson some credit, though: He limited the damage to only the homer and gave the Pirates five strong, walking three and striking out five.
Suwinski tied it with a solo homer in the bottom of the second, his 17th of the season, coming on a four-seamer. It gave Suwinski homers in three of his past four games at PNC Park and in 14 of 48 here this season. At 111.8 mph, it was the second-hardest-hit ball Suwinski has produced this season.
The Pirates then leveraged a few Cubs miscues to pick up a pair of runs in the third. Reynolds reached on an error and scored when Mitchell ripped a 1-1 change-up past diving Chicago first baseman Alfonso Rivas.
Kevin Newman upped Pittsburgh’s lead to 4-2 with a double of his own, scoring Mitchell when he poked an outside fastball to right.
That helped Newman extend his hitting streak to seven games, during which he’s batting .308 (8 for 26). Over his past 27 games, Newman is hitting .302 (29 for 96) with five doubles and two home runs.
