Frank Schwindel slid safely into first base for a walkoff single, capping a dramatic three-run ninth inning as the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 7-6 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon.

Schwindel hit a ground ball deep into the hole between shortstop and third base. He dived toward the bag, reached out with his left hand and narrowly escaped an attempted tag after the throw was off the line.

Rafael Ortega and Alfonso Rivas also drove in one run apiece during the ninth inning for the Cubs. Schwindel finished 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs for Chicago (62-75), which won its fifth in a row.

Wilmer Difo drove in a pair of runs and Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a solo homer for Pittsburgh (48-88), which dropped its fifth straight game. The Pirates will try to avoid a four-game sweep on Sunday afternoon.

Cubs right-hander Scott Effross (1-0) earned his first major league win with one inning of scoreless relief.

Pirates right-hander Chris Stratton (5-1) took the loss out of the bullpen. He gave up three runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out none.

Pittsburgh jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Tsutsugo clobbered a curveball 404 feet to right field for his sixth homer of the season.

The Cubs grabbed a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Matt Duffy hit a run-scoring single, Jason Heyward had an RBI groundout and Sergio Alcantara followed with another RBI groundout.

The lead did not last for long. Pittsburgh answered with five runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead 6-3.

Colin Moran drew a bases-loaded walk to notch the first run of the inning. Anthony Alford was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to score another run and even the score at 3.

Cubs right-hander Trevor Megill replaced starter Kyle Hendricks and threw a wild pitch that allowed Jacob Stallings to score. Difo hit a two-run single moments later to make it 6-3.

Chicago pulled within 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth. Schwindel hit a towering, 450-foot home run that landed on Waveland Avenue. It was his 10th homer of the season and his ninth since joining the Cubs.

--Field Level Media