Chi. Cubs 5, Pittsburgh 2
When: 7:05 PM ET, Monday, April 20, 2015
Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Temperature:
60°
Umpires:
Home -
D.J. Reyburn, 1B -
Joe West, 2B -
Gabe Morales, 3B -
Kerwin Danley
Attendance:
11777
By The Sports Xchange
PITTSBURGH -- Rookie Kris Bryant hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning as he finished with three hits and three RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
After right fielder Jorge Soler doubled and first baseman Anthony Rizzo walked with one out in the seventh, Bryant hit a drive to the base of the wall in left-center off reliever Arquimedes Caminero (0-1) to score both runners.
Bryant scored on the same play when he took third on the throw home then scored when catcher Francisco Cervelli missed the ball.
Bryant, the Cubs' third baseman, hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to tie it at 1-1.
Soler went 4-for-4 while Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro added two hits each for the Cubs, who had 14 hits.
Bryant is 6-for-15 (.400) with four RBIs in four games since his much-anticipated call up last Friday from Triple-A Iowa. He led all major leaguers with nine home runs during spring training.
Right-hander Jake Arrieta (2-1) allowed only one run -- which came in the first inning on an RBI single by Andrew McCutchen -- in seven innings. Arrieta limited the Pirates to three hits, had no walks and struck out seven.
Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett surrendered one run in six innings as he scattered eight hits while walking two and striking out one.
McCutchen had two of Pittsburgh's four hits, including an RBI single in the first inning. Left fielder Starling Marte homered in the ninth.
The start of the game was delayed 28 minutes because of rain, and there was a 23-minute stoppage of play in the top of the second inning as medics attended to a female fan sitting behind home plate who was struck in the back of the head by a foul ball hit by Castro.
The fan was standing in the first row of seats behind the protective screen with her back to the field. She was taken from the seating area on a stretcher.
That delay came right after the Pirates scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning on a single by center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
The Cubs broke through for the tying run in the fifth on an RBI single by rookie third baseman Kris Bryant. They had runners on the corners the previous two innings but grounded into inning-ending double plays -- by Bryant in the third and Arrieta in the fourth.
NOTES: Pirates SS Jordy Mercer was not in the lineup because of a bruised chest, which he sustained Sunday when he was hit by a pitch by Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza while trying to bunt. The Pirates said Sunday that Mercer had a ribcage injury, but manager Clint Hurdle said before Monday's game was that it was more in the chest area. ... INF Addison Russell, one of the top shortstop prospects in the game, began playing second base over the weekend for the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa farm club. While that has led to speculation Russell might soon be called up, manager Joe Maddon said the move was made primarily so the 21-year-old could have more versatility. ... The second game of the four-game series will be played Tuesday night with Cubs LHP Travis Wood (1-1, 2.31 ERA) facing Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 2.08 ERA).
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
| Chi. Cubs |
|
Pittsburgh |
|
Jake Arrieta
|
Player |
A.J. Burnett |
|
Win |
W/L |
No Decision |
|
7.0 |
IP |
6.0 |
|
7 |
Strikeouts |
1 |
|
4 |
Hits |
8 |
|
1.29 |
ERA |
1.50 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Chi. Cubs
|
14 |
0 |
16 |
.378 |
15 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| Pittsburgh
|
5 |
1 |
10 |
.152 |
7 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
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