*Photo from the Leader Tribune*
Welcome to the thick of the wild card race. Cody Bellinger drove in 3 runs, Alexander Canario hit a grand slam, and the Chicago Cubs trounced the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 14-1 win on Tuesday night in Chicago.
After losing 5 straight games, the Cubs picked up a crucial win when it was needed the most on Tuesday, maintaining a playoff spot in the NL Wild Card hunt. 8 of the 14 runs they scored were driven in by Canario and Bellinger, while Dansby Swanson also had two RBI's.
Swanson said of the Cubs snapping their skid that "No one on any team feels their best right now. But that’s where you like to thrive, when your back’s against the wall and things are a little bit challenging. That’s when you step up. That’s what you trained all offseason for. That’s why you put the pennies in the piggy bank all year, to be at this point."
It was Swanson who started the scoring, hitting a two run home run in the first inning to make it 2-0 Cubs. In the second, Patrick Wisdom had an RBI double and Nico Hoerner a run scoring sac fly to make it 4-0. Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a solo home run for the Pirates in the top of the 3rd while Seiya Suzuki did the same for the Cubs in the bottom, making it 5-1 Cubs.
In the 6th inning, Canario made it a 6-1 lead for the Cubs with an RBI double that scored Christoper Morel. Canario then cranked a grand slam in the 8th inning, making the score lopsided and a 10-1 margin. Bellinger then hit a 3 run home run and Jared Young added an RBI triple to make it a 14-1 final score.
Canario said after the game that "It's incredible, it's surreal. It's something I've always dreamed of, especially with the bases loaded. I was always ready for the moment. Just to be able to contribute to the team overall and just to be able to contribute with such a big moment into the score in the game like that."
Javier Assad started for the Cubs, allowing one run on 5 hits and one walk in 5 innings, punching out 8 hitters. From there, Drew Smyly, Jose Cuas, Mark Leiter Jr, and Luke Little each threw a scoreless inning to close out the win.
Bailey Falter was an opener for the Pirates, allowing two runs in one inning. Quinn Priester handled the next 6 innings, getting tagged for 4 runs on 5 hits and two walks. Kyle Nicolas allowed 6 runs while getting just one out in his big league debut. Jose Hernandez got the final two outs.
Priester said after the game that "Shoot, they’re just a good team. They hit the ball, give themselves an opportunity, and they capitalized on our mistakes, especially when we gave them free passes. They’ll capitalize. We have to limit that. These games aren’t going to happen all the time. Those innings aren’t going to happen all the time. I’ve got to keep it closer to keep us in a game there and do my part."
Up next, the series continues on Wednesday night. The Cubs go for the series win as Justin Steele takes the mound. The Pirates look to even the series with Mitch Keller getting the start.
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