Jeimer Candelario homered and Cody Bellinger finished with five RBIs on Sunday to back a solid start by Javier Assad as the visiting Chicago Cubs trounced the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 to take three of four games in the series.
Bellinger (two runs) and Nico Hoerner (three runs) each went 3-for-5, and Seiya Suzuki added an RBI double for the Cubs, who have won seven of their last nine games. They are 9-1 against Pittsburgh this season.
Assad (3-2) gave up one run and three hits in seven innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Ke’Bryan Hayes had an RBI groundout for the Pirates, who have lost four of their last five games.
Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter (1-8) allowed six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts and one walk.
In the first, Hoerner led off with a double to left center. A groundout and a popout later, Bellinger singled to center to drive in Hoerner for a 1-0 Cubs lead.
Pittsburgh tied it in the bottom of the first. Ji Hwan Bae doubled to right, went to third on Bryan Reynolds’ groundout and scored on Hayes’ groundout.
Chicago moved ahead for good in the fourth. Suzuki walked with one out. After Yan Gomes struck out, Candelario launched his 19th home run, down the line in left, for a 3-1 lead. That tied his career high for homers in a season.
In the fifth, Hoerner singled to right with one out. Dansby Swanson reached on an infield base hit, with Hoerner going to second. After Ian Happ flied out, Hoerner and Swanson moved up on a double steal. Bellinger doubled to center to bring both home and make it 5-1.
Cody Bolton then replaced Falter and yielded a double to right by Suzuki. That drove in Bellinger for a 6-1 lead.
Chicago added another in the eighth against Jose Hernandez. Suzuki doubled to left, went to third on Gomes’ flyout to center and scored on Candelario’s fielder’s choice.
In the ninth, Hoerner singled to center. An out later, Happ hit an infield single. Bellinger drove both home with a double to left for 9-1 lead, and he later scored on Gomes’ groundout.
–Field Level Media
