PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kris Bryant wouldn’t let another win slip away.
After Chicago squandered two leads, Bryant’s RBI single in the eighth inning lifted the Cubs to a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Pinch-hitter Matt Szczur doubled to left field with one out against Pirates reliever Tony Watson (1-3). Bryant, who had three hits and reached base four times, followed with his tiebreaking hit to put the Cubs back ahead.
“I just go out and try to make something happen,” Szczur said. “I was able to get a good pitch to drive and (Bryant) did the rest. . We’ve been grinding, we’re a bunch of grinders, so that was a good way to end the first half. We feel good about ourselves.”
Chicago avoided a series sweep ended its five game losing streak. Pittsburgh lost for just the second time in 11 games heading to the All-Star break.
With the win, the Cubs carry a seven-game lead over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals into the break.
“We need a break,” Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. “We need to get guys rested. The combination of the schedule and, more specifically, the last week with the way games were scheduled, it put us in a fatigue situation.”
Cubs reliever Pedro Strop (2-2) gave up Andrew McCutchen’s tying sacrifice fly in the seventh, Carl Edwards pitched a hitless eight and Hector Rondon got the last three outs for his 14th save.
The Pirates tied the score at 5-5 after the Cubs failed to turn a double play off a dribbler from Starling Marte in the seventh. With rookie Josh Bell at second base and John Jaso at first, Marte grounded to shortstop Addison Russell with Bell running back to second.
Russell didn’t tag Bell and instead handed off to second baseman Ben Zobrist, whose relay throw to first failed to beat Marte. First baseman Anthony Rizzo threw back across the diamond to third, where Bell avoided a tag from Javier Baez.
With runners on the corners and one out, McCutchen drove in Bell with a fly to deep right field. Strop ended the inning by getting David Freese on a fly ball.
Strop had come in for starter John Lackey, who had another inconsistent outing. After allowing four runs in his first three innings, which included McCutchen’s 14th home run of the season and his second in two days, Lackey rebounded by shutting down the Pirates through the following three innings.
Lackey lost his control again when he walked Bell and allowed Jaso to follow with a single to start the seventh inning.
Pirates starter Jonathan Niese fared worse, giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. He was pulled in favor of Arquimedes Caminero in the fourth inning after surrendering a two-run home run to Albert Almora Jr., retiring the following two batters and allowing back-to-back hits to Bryant and Rizzo in top of the fourth inning.
“When he’s been good, there’s downhill angle, he’s had good command down in the zone, getting the ball in the glove side,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Niese has lost five of his past six starts and is 7-7 after beginning the season 6-2.
“I’m really done worrying about my mechanics,” Niese said. “As long as I’m executing pitches, that’s all that matters. So, this All-Star break is going to be good. It’s a good reset button. I’m going to go home, enjoy the family and come back in the second half and give it all I got.”