Pirates 8, Cubs 2: Gerrit Cole pitched six strong innings and delivered a two-run single as visiting Pittsburgh beat Chicago for the second straight night.

Pedro Alvarez drove in three runs with a pair of doubles and Jordy Mercer homered for the Pirates, who remain two games behind St. Louis in the National League Central but moved a game ahead of Cincinnati in the race for home-field advantage in the NL wild-card game.

Cole (10-7) struck out six, walked one and allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings to win his fourth straight start. Cubs starter Chris Rusin (2-6) surrendered four runs on six hits over 2 1/3 innings.

Alvarez opened the scoring with an RBI ground-rule double in the second, and Cole kept the inning going with a two-run single up the middle. Mercer made it 4-0 with his seventh homer in the third, and Alvarez knocked in two more with a double down the left-field line in the fifth for a 6-1 advantage.

The Cubs had a chance to get back in it in the sixth, loading the bases and plating a run when Mercer booted a grounder, but Cole struck out back-to-back batters and Donnie Murphy flew out to the warning track to douse the threat.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cole has gone at least five innings and allowed four or fewer runs in all 19 of his starts. … The Cubs have hit .182 and scored a total of 40 runs in 18 games against the Pirates this season. … Pittsburgh LH Jeff Locke will not make another start but could make the postseason roster in a relief role. Locke made his first All-Star Game after a great first half but is 1-5 with a 6.66 ERA over his last 11 starts.