![\"Gregory](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Soto.jpg\")
Photo provided by Matt Lynch\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto provided by Matt Lynch\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Gregory Soto lost the strike zone in the eighth inning, and the Pirates lost 4-3 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon because of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scoring Plays<\/p>\n
Bottom 1st, 1-0 CHC: With two outs in the inning, Michael Busch gave the Cubs (83-66) the lead with a solo home run to center off Paul Skenes.<\/p>\n
Bottom 3rd, 2-0 CHC: Pedro Ram\u00edrez led off the inning with a home run to right field. <\/p>\n
Top 6th, 3-2 PIT: Ryan O\u2019Hearn gave the Pirates (74-75) the lead with a three-run home run to right field off Clay Holmes. O-Hearn\u2019s 18th homer of the season set a career-high. <\/p>\n
Bottom 8th, 4-3 CHC: With the bases loaded and two outs, Gregory Soto (6-4) walked pinch-hitter Matt Shaw and hit Nico Hoerner on the very next pitch to push across the go-ahead run.<\/p>\n
Key Moments<\/p>\n
Pedro Ram\u00edrez led off the eighth inning with a double. Gregory Soto retired the next two batters. But he hit Alex Bregman with a pitch and walked pinch-hitter Seiya Suzuki before his wildness resulted in two Cubs runs. <\/p>\n
Player of the Game<\/p>\n
Pedro Ram\u00edrez homered, doubled and scored two runs for the Cubs in the win. <\/p>\n
Stat to Know<\/p>\n
Gregory Soto had not allowed a run in any of his last 12 appearances dating back to Aug. 14 (11.2 innings). The eighth inning the first time he had been scored upon since Aug. 9 vs. the Mets and the first time he allowed multiple runs since June 29 at the Phillies.<\/p>\n
Notable Performances<\/p>\n
Paul Skenes: 7.0 innings, four hits, two runs, one walk, four strikeouts, 82 pitches\/53 strikes<\/p>\n
Gregory Soto: 1.0 inning, one hit, two runs, two walks, two HBPs, two strikeouts, 31 pitches\/16 strikes<\/p>\n
Ryan O\u2019Hearn: 1 for 4, one home run, three RBI, one run<\/p>\n
Noteworthy<\/p>\n
Bryan Reynolds became the first Pirate to score 100 runs in a season since Andrew McCutchen in 2012. <\/p>\n
Paul Skenes had not allowed a run in three career starts at Wrigley Field entering play. He now has a 0.78 ERA in four career starts in the historic ballpark. <\/p>\n
Konnor Griffin (20 years, 141 days) became the youngest player to bat leadoff for the Pirates since 1901. <\/p>\n
Rafael Flores Jr. extended his hitting streak to seven games. <\/p>\n
The Pirates placed OF Esmerlyn Valdez<\/a> on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. OF Ronny Simon was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.<\/p>\n Up Next<\/p>\n RHP Bubba Chandler (7-9, 4.25 ERA) starts for the Pirates in Sunday\u2019s finale. The Cubs will send out LHP Matthew Boyd(8-4, 4.03 ERA). First pitch: 2:20 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh\/93.7 The Fan.<\/p>\n Around the Network<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Pirates Starting Pitching Depth is Alarmingly Thin<\/a><\/p>\n Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Follow-Up Penguins Qs: Dubas No Fear; Best & Worst Case Scenarios<\/a><\/p>\n Steelers Now: Bell: 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers Season Prediction<\/a><\/p>\n Pittsburgh Sports Now: Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson Outlasts Kemon Spell, McKeesport in Thriller<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article:Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a><\/p>\n