CHICAGO -- The Pirates took advantage of a crucial Cubs mistake on Saturday afternoon to maintain their hold on first place in the National League Central.
Pittsburgh plated an unearned run in the top of the 11th inning, when Chicago reliever Caleb Thielbar fielded Brandon Lowe’s tapper and threw wide of first base, allowing Nick Gonzales to score the go-ahead run from second base.
It proved to be the decisive run in a 4-3 Pirates victory in front of 34,049 fans at Wrigley Field.
"That's a gutsy blue-collar win,” manager Don Kelly said. “Coming into Chicago in that environment, to have the situation there at the end like we did and to find a way to score a run. ... We'll take a win any way we can get it."
The Bucs (9-5) are four games over .500 for the first time since April 16, 2024, which was also the last time they were in first place before Saturday (they began the day in a tie with the Cardinals and Brewers atop the NL Central).
Pittsburgh built an early 3-0 lead behind Oneil Cruz, who became the first Pirates player to collect four hits and three stolen bases in a game since Matt Lawton turned the trick against the Marlins on July 26, 2005. Bucs starter Braxton Ashcraft set a career high with nine strikeouts in five strong innings as he continues to prove why he belongs in the rotation long-term.
"He did phenomenal,” Kelly said of Ashcraft. “Filled the zone up with a lot of different stuff. His fastball was electric -- up to 98 [mph] there at times and was able to throw all of his pitches for strikes."
The Cubs fought back with three runs, eventually tying the game on an Alex Bregman single in the bottom of the ninth. Neither team scored in the 10th before Thielbar’s miscue opened the door for a Pirates victory.
"It was gritty,” said third baseman Nick Yorke, who logged three hits and one walk in the win. “We fought through the end. Had the lead, gave it up. Pitchers did a good job of keeping them at bay. We started with runners in scoring position two times and got out of it both times. I was impressed with stuff by them, for sure."
Yohan Ramírez was tasked with keeping the Cubs off the scoreboard in extra innings and he answered the call.
The right-handed reliever worked around the automatic baserunners, three walks, a wild pitch and his own throwing error to blank the Cubs through both the 10th and 11th innings.
The bottom of the 11th began with the automatic runner on second and Ramírez threw the ball away on Nico Hoerner's grounder back to the mound. That put runners on second and third as the Pirates clung to a one-run lead.
Ramírez responded by inducing a lineout to shallow right field and then a popout to first base. The Pirates opted to intentionally walk Ian Happ to load the bases for Seiya Suzuki.
Ramirez fell behind, 3-0, on Suzuki before battling back and getting the Cubs’ designated hitter to pop into a game-ending foulout two pitches later.
"Unbelievable," Kelly said. "To be in that spot, extra innings, second and third nobody out, and then they get bases loaded and a 3-0 [count] -- to stay in the zone there and make pitches. Hats off to him; that was awesome."
The Pirates have won eight of their last 10 games and claimed their first series win over the Cubs since September 2024. It is also the first time since 2018 that Pittsburgh has won each of its first two series against NL Central opponents.
The Bucs are not content with just a series victory, though.
"It's always good to win, first and foremost,” Yorke said. “We come in expecting to win. That's our standard -- to come in and win ballgames. I don't think anyone's satisfied with this win. We're going to come in, trying to sweep tomorrow."