PITTSBURGH (AP) \u2014 Ryan O\u2019Hearn hit a grand slam on his 33rd birthday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs 8-7 on Sunday to avoid being swept in the three-game series.<\/p>\n
The Cubs nearly erased a six-run deficit. Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run home run with one out in the ninth inning to make it a one-run game, but Mason Montgomery held on for his second save.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hearn\u2019s blast to center field in the third inning extended the Pirates\u2019 lead to 7-1. That came an inning after a pair of rookies homered, with Esmerlyn Valdez hitting a leadoff shot and Shawn Ross hitting a two-run blast for his first career home run.<\/p>\n
It was the fourth career grand slam for O\u2019Hearn and second this season. His 17 home runs match the nine-year veteran\u2019s career high.<\/p>\n
Valdez has 14 home runs in just 37 games. Ross, a catcher, was making his first career start after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.<\/p>\n
All three home runs came off Jameson Taillon (2-6), who has given up 25 longballs in just 76 innings this season. Taillon lasted four innings, was charged with seven runs on six hits and is winless in his last nine starts.<\/p>\n
Braxton Ashcraft (10-4) pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five.<\/p>\n
Brandon Lowe had three of the Pirates\u2019 11 hits while Valdez and Nick Gonzales had two each. The Cubs got two hits apiece from Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, rookie Pedro Ramirez and Dansby Swanson.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Cubs: Open a four-game series in St. Louis on Monday night with LHP David Peterson (5-7, 5.97 ERA) starting.<\/p>\n
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (6-7, 4.90) pitches against Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (8-8, 5.12) on Monday night in the opener of a three-game home series.<\/p>\n