Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (Simulated Game 30): Cubs 4, Pirates 3 – Bote’s Inside-the-Park Homer Paces Win
The Chicago Cubs (19-11) fell behind early against the Pittsburgh Pirates (9-21), but their hot offense found a way to push ahead and take the first game of a Wednesday double-header, via MLB The Show 20. David Bote hit an inside-the-park home run and Tyler Chatwood was just good enough on the mound for the Cubs to win the seventh of their last eight series, including a two-game split with the Baltimore Orioles.
Opposing Chatwood on the mound was left-hander Steven Brault, who was facing Chicago for the third time already this season. The Cubs have pounded Brault, scoring 11 runs in just 4 2/3 innings against him. Chatwood faced Brault in both previous games and his combined 8 1/3 innings with five earned runs is far better, even if it’s not ideal.
It looked at first like things were starting well for Chatwood, who was able to get Kevin Newman and Adam Frazier on groundballs to shortstop and third base, respectively. Bryan Reynolds grounded one to Anthony Rizzo that the normally sure-handed first baseman dropped, allowing the batter to reach on an error. Josh Bell was up next and he hit a two-run homer into the bleachers in right-center to put the Pirates up 2-0.
The Cubs would not be discouraged. After Kris Bryant struck out in the bottom half of the inning, Rizzo made up for his miscue by hitting a solo homer to deep right field, making the score 2-1. Javier Báez followed with a homer to center, going back-to-back and tying the game at 2-2. Willson Contreras struck out for the second out, but Albert Almora Jr. smacked a double into the left field corner to bring David Bote to the plate.
Bote has been on an absolute tear to begin the season and was tied with Bryant for the team lead with 24 RBI. Brault left a fastball up in the zone for Bote, who hit it very high and deep to left field. It appeared that the wind held the ball in the park, however, and it banged hard off the wall when it landed. Bote chugged around the bases while the ball rolled away from Reynolds, and an off-line relay throw from Newman played a major role in what became Bote’s first career inside-the-park home run.
Suddenly, Chatwood and the Cubs were now ahead of Pittsburgh, 4-2. The Cubs would threaten against Brault in the 3rd inning when Almora walked and Bote singled with nobody out. But Steven Souza Jr. struck out and Josh Phegley hit into a double play to end the threat. In total, Brault was able to make it 3 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Chatwood pitched into the 5th inning before he began to struggle, loading the bases with a walk to Bell with one out and then walking in a run on four errant pitches to Colin Moran. With the score now 4-3 and Chatwood clearly out of gas, David Ross went to left-hander Danny Hultzen to pitch to Gregory Polanco. Hultzen was able to strike Polanco out swinging, and catcher Jacob Stallings then swung at the first pitch and flew out to shallow center field to end the frame.
The Cubs starter was more impressive than his pitching line ofs 4 1/3 innings and three runs – just one of them was earned – on eight hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. After finishing off the inning, Hultzen pitched a scoreless 6th and was followed by two perfect innings from Alec Mills. Craig Kimbrel pitched a quiet 9th for his 12th save in 13 tries this season.
Key Players:
Rizzo – 2-for-4, HR, RBI
Báez – 1-for-2, BB, HR, RBI
Bote – 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Mills – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 2 K
Bell – 2-for-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI
Dyson – 2-for-4, 2 2B
Reynolds – 2-for-5, R
Winning Pitcher – Hultzen (2-0)
Losing Pitcher – Brault (2-3)
Save – Kimbrel (12)
Home Runs – Rizzo (7), Báez (6), Bote (6), Bell (5)
30-game stats:
Contreras – 79 AB, 5 HR, 15 RBI, .316/.402/.582
Phegley – 31 AB, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .194/.212/.226
Caratini – 43 AB, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .163/.200/.349
Rizzo – 115 AB, 7 HR, 15 RBI, .270/.328/.478
Kipnis – 54 AB, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .111/.226/.204
Bote – 88 AB, 6 HR, 26 RBI, .341/.414/.625
Bryant – 112 AB, 10 HR, 24 RBI, .357/.448/.687
Báez – 107 AB, 6 HR, 15 RBI, .271/.333/.514
Schwarber – 90 AB, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .300/.400/.433
Happ – 87 AB, 4 HR, 16 RBI, .287/.360/.494
Almora – 34 AB, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .324/.439/.735
Miller (AAA) – 17 AB, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .118/.211/.176
Heyward – 71 AB, 7 HR, 22 RBI, .324/.417/.634
Souza – 49 AB, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .245/.283/.306
Hendricks – 6 GS, 3-1, 32 IP, 30 K, 4 BB, 4.78 ERA
Darvish – 6 GS, 4-2, 36.2 IP, 46 K, 13 BB, 4.17 ERA
Lester – 6 GS, 2-2, 34.2 IP, 29 K, 8 BB, 3.12 ERA
Quintana – 6 GS, 2-2, 34.1 IP, 30 K, 14 BB, 4.98 ERA
Chatwood – 6 GS, 1-0, 30.1 IP, 31 K, 15 BB, 2.67 ERA
Mills – 11 G, 17.1 IP, 20 K, 4 BB, 3.63 ERA, 0-0 S
Wick – 13 G, 10.1 IP, 12 K, 7 BB, 5.23 ERA, 0-3 S
Jeffress – 12 G, 11.1 IP, 12 K, 5 BB, 6.35 ERA, 0-1 S
Ryan – 14 G, 11.2 IP, 13 K, 6 BB, 3.86 ERA, 0-2 S
Hultzen – 5 G, 5.1 IP, 7 K, 0 BB, 1.69 ERA, 0-0 S
Winkler (AAA) – 4 G, 2.2 IP, 2 K, 3 BB, 16.88 ERA, 0-0 S
Sadler – 11 G, 11 IP, 3 K, 5 BB, 4.09 ERA, 0-1 S
Tepera – 10 G, 11.1 IP, 9 K, 5 BB, 2.38 ERA, 0-0 S
Maples (AAA) – 4 G, 5 IP, 4 K, 5 BB, 10.80 ERA, 0-0 S
Kimbrel – 18 G, 15.2 IP, 20 K, 7 BB, 1.72 ERA, 12/13 S