CHICAGO — Alex Bregman scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning when Gregory Soto hit Nico Hoerner with a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs, and the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Before Hoerner’s at-bat, Soto walked pinch-hitter Matt Shaw to force in Pedro Ramirez from third to tie it at 3 as the Cubs won their second straight. Soto relieved after seven strong innings from Paul Skenes, who left with a 3-2 lead.<\/p>\n
Skenes settled in after giving up solo shots to Michael Busch and Ramirez off high fastballs as the Pirates dropped a second straight after winning nine of 11. Ramirez led off the eighth with a double off Soto (6-5), who allowed two runs on one hit, two walks and hit two batters.<\/p>\n
Ryan Rolison (9-1) got five outs for the win. Ryan Zeferjahn got the final out of the ninth for his sixth save.<\/p>\n
Ryan O\u2019Hearn hit his career-best 18th homer of the season, a three-run drive in the sixth, to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead. O\u2019Hearn connected for the first time since being reinstated on Friday following six weeks on the injured list (left quad strain) and upped his career-high RBI total this season to 72.<\/p>\n
Skenes allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings while striking out four and walking one.<\/p>\n
Cubs starter Clay Holmes cruised through five scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 5 2\/3 innings. He struck out six.<\/p>\n
Busch hit an opposite-field homer in the first for a 1-0 Chicago lead. Ramirez pulled a drive high into the right-center bleachers in the third to make it 2-0.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hearn sent a high cutter from Holmes to the base of Wrigley Field\u2019s message board in right.<\/p>\n
Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (7-9, 4.25 ERA) faced Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd (8-4, 4.03) on Sunday.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n