In a back and forth battle at Wrigley Field, Jack Suwinski delivered the decisive blow with a ninth-inning solo homer, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs and snapping a five-game losing skid. Facing Daniel Palencia’s 1–1 fastball, Suwinski – a Chicago native – ripped the pitch the opposite way into the left-field bleachers for the go-ahead run, handing the Cubs their fourth loss in five games and finally awakening a Pirates dugout.
Entering Friday’s game, Suwinski had endured a turbulent season, shuttling between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh while struggling to find consistency at the plate. The 26-year-old outfielder entered the game hitting .117 with one home run in 39 games, before hitting the ninth inning blast.
Pittsburgh drew the early lead after Andrew McCutchen’s RBI double in the fourth inning and another clutch two-out knock by Isaiah Kiner-Falefa in the seventh to take a brief lead. The Cubs answered with Pete Crow-Armstrong’s RBI single and Matt Shaw’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly to even the score. But when the dust settled, Dennis Santana entered the game and retired the side over the final four outs, preserving the Pirates’ slim advantage and earning the win out of the bullpen.
Game two of the series is Saturday at 2:20 p.m. ET, when the Pirates hand the ball to right-hander Mike Burrows (1–4, 4.66 ERA) against Cubs southpaw Shota Imanaga (8–5, 3.19 ERA). With momentum on their side, Pittsburgh will look to extend the series lead and build on the spark ignited by Suwinski’s late-night heroics