Pinch-hitter Bobby Crosby hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs Monday.
Garrett Jones homered in the sixth and also started the game-winning rally. The Pirates snap a five-game skid and improved to 6-1 against Chicago this season.
In the eighth, Jones hit a one-out double off Sean Marshall (5-2) and then advanced to third on a groundout. After an intentional walk to Ryan Doumit, Crosby plated Jones with a single to center field.
Octavio Dotel worked around a one-out single in the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances.
Evan Meek (3-1) earned the win by throwing a scoreless eighth in relief of Ross Olhendorf, who allowed one run and three hits in seven innings.
Geovany Soto drove in the lone run for Chicago, which went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The Cubs have lost four of five, scoring just nine runs in that span.
They wasted a solid effort from Randy Wells and the bullpen. Wells bounced back from a terrible outing by allowing three hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked three.
On Friday, Wells did not record an out, allowing six straight hits to begin the game in a 7-1 loss to St. Louis. He was the first Cubs’ pitcher to allow six straight hits since 1975.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI groundout from Soto. Jones tied it in the sixth with his sixth homer of the season, and first in 60 at bats.
Chi. Cubs | Pittsburgh | |
Randy Wells | Player | Ross Ohlendorf |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.0 | IP | 7.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 6 |
3 | Hits | 3 |
0.00 | ERA | 1.29 |
Chi. Cubs | Pittsburgh | |
Kosuke Fukudome | Player | Garrett Jones |
1 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
1 | TB | 6 |
.333 | Avg | .500 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Chi. Cubs | 4 | 0 | 6 | .125 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Pittsburgh | 7 | 1 | 11 | .226 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |