Steele cruises, Cubs send Pirates to 100th loss in 9-0 rout

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Steele breezed through seven shutout innings and the Chicago Cubs scored six runs in the second inning Thursday night, beating Pittsburgh 9-0 and sending the Pirates to their 100th loss of the season.

Steele (4-4) struck out seven and gave up four hits on 76 pitches. The rookie left-hander, who hadn’t gone more than five innings in eight major league starts, bounced back after allowing six runs and seven hits against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 24.

“If you're going to ask me if I could've kept going or wanted the complete game, of course,” Steele said. "That's just the competitor in me. I want to keep going. I don't know exactly how many pitches I was at, but I felt like I was at a manageable pitch count. Could've worked it out somehow, but there's people in the bullpen that have to get work in as well.

“Feels good to go out there and get seven shutout innings to end the year. It's a high note. It's something to definitely build off of.”

Pittsburgh joined Texas, Baltimore and Arizona, giving MLB four 100-loss teams for the third time, after 2002 and 2019. The Pirates hadn’t lost 100 games since 2010, when they finished 57-105.

“It’s not good, especially as hard as we work, but we’ve just got to keep moving forward," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "I think we can use the entire year as motivation to be better next season. I don’t think there is a specific number that accounts for that.”

Sergio Alcántara drove in three runs, two coming on a homer to right off Miguel Yajure (0-2) that gave Chicago a 3-0 lead in the six-run second. Steele helped his own cause with a single and scored on a groundout by Frank Schwindel, Rafael Ortega took home on a double steal, Willson Contreras had an RBI double and Matt Duffy made it 7-0 with a...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Steele-cruises-Cubs-send-Pirates-to-100th-loss-16500889.php