Sacrifice fly lifts Cubs over Bucs in 12
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
Pinch-runner Quintin Berry raced home on Anthony Rizzo’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning, and the Chicago Cubs slipped by the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Chicago starter Jake Arrieta’s bid to become the first 20-game winner in the majors went along smoothly before he wavered in the eighth as Pittsburgh rallied to tie it. Arrieta allowed two runs, one earned, and six hits but failed to pick up a win for the first time since Aug. 4.
Chris Denorfia singled off Vance Worley (4-6) to start the 12th and was replaced by Berry, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on Austin Jackson’s single. Starling Marte tracked down Rizzo’s sinking liner to left field but had no shot at Berry.
Hector Rondon (6-4) worked two innings as Chicago pulled within three games of the Pirates for the top spot in the NL wild-card race.
Neil Walker and Marte had two hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which fell four games behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central.
Arrieta’s rise is one of the main reasons the Cubs are closing in on their first playoff berth since 2008. His 19 wins are two more than he managed from 2012-14 combined, when the right-hander struggled with his command and an identity on the mound.
That’s not an issue anymore.
The Pirates, trying to chase down front-running St. Louis and avoid playing in a third straight wild-card game, didn’t exactly do anything to build much confidence should they face the Cubs in the one-game elimination on Oct. 7.
Chicago appeared to give Arrieta all the offense he would need in the sixth when the Cubs finally got to Pittsburgh starter A.J. Burnett. The 38-year-old matched Arrieta for five scoreless innings in his second start since a six-week stay on the disabled list with a strained right elbow.
Rizzo singled in the sixth and scored on a double by Kris Bryant. The rookie slugger made it 2-0 when he raced home from third on a sacrifice bunt back to the mound by Starlin Castro, who reached safely when reliever Jared Hughes threw wide of first for an error.
Burnett gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven to give him 2,495 strikeouts in his 17-year career.
Hughes escaped without further damage and Pittsburgh used a rare mistake by Arrieta to draw closer. Gregory Polanco singled in the sixth with two outs, stole second and scored when Arrieta flipped high to Rizzo at first for an error on a routine chopper by Marte.