Chatwood fans 11, Cubs hit 3 homers to beat Pirates 4-3

CHICAGO (AP) — Tyler Chatwood matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in another terrific performance, and the Chicago Cubs used the long ball to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Saturday night.

Javier Báez, Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ hit home runs as Chicago won for the fifth time in six games. The Cubs have homered in each of their first eight games for the first time since 1958.

Schwarber's two-run shot in the eighth made it 4-0 and led to chants of “Kyle Schwarber! Kyle Schwarber!” from a vocal rooftop crowd in foul territory in left.

Chatwood (2-0) departed after Pittsburgh loaded the bases with two out in the seventh. Jeremy Jeffress came in and retired Phillip Evans on a grounder to third.

The Pirates got three in the ninth on Colin Moran's two-run homer off Kyle Ryan and Gregory Polanco's run-scoring groundout. But Rowan Wick got pinch hitter José Osuna to bounce into a fielder's choice for his third career save.

Cubs manager David Ross stayed away from Craig Kimbrel one day after the closer surrendered home runs by Josh Bell and Moran in the ninth inning of a 6-3 victory.

Chatwood had control issues in his first season with Chicago in 2018, but the right-hander was better last year. He is off to a great start in 2020, allowing one run and six hits in 12 2/3 innings over his first two outings.

The Pirates finished with six hits in their fourth loss in five games. They began the day with a major league-low .177 team batting average.

Pittsburgh also lost Mitch Keller (1-1) in the third inning because of left side discomfort. The right-hander, one of the team's top young arms, was visited by a trainer after he bounced a curveball to Willson Contreras with two out. After a short conversation, he walked off the mound and was replaced by Chris...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Chatwood-fans-11-Cubs-hit-3-homers-to-beat-15452118.php