Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki each homered as part of three-hit outings and the Chicago Cubs belted four overall during a 9-0 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
The Cubs snapped a two-game skid while dealing the Pirates their third consecutive defeat and fifth shutout loss this season.
Shota Imanaga (3-1) threw 87 pitches and gave up six hits over five-plus scoreless innings while striking out three and walking one to lead Chicago to its fourth shutout win of the season. Imanaga, however, left his start due to leg cramps after allowing his lone extra-base hit – a double by Andrew McCutchen – to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
The Cubs’ bullpen kept Pittsburgh in check as Daniel Palencia, Caleb Thielbar and Tom Cosgrove combined to allow one hit over four shutout innings.
Joey Bart went 2-for-2 with two walks and Isiah Kiner-Falefa also had two hits for the Pirates.
Palencia walked Bart after McCutchen’s double in the sixth, but then regrouped and retired the next three batters in order to end the threat.
Every hitter in Chicago’s lineup had at least one hit. Kelly drove in three runs while Suzuki, Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong each finished with two RBIs.
The game took a major turn in the fourth inning after Pirates starter Andrew Heaney (2-2) retired the first 11 batters he faced to open the game.
Suzuki ended that stretch with a two-out double to center. Kelly followed when he belted his seventh home run of the season, a 418-foot blast to left center. The blast ended a stretch of 20 consecutive innings for Heaney without allowing a run.
Only a strong defensive play by Tommy Pham, who threw out Michael Busch at second after he tried to extend a single, ended the inning.
Heaney wouldn’t survive the fifth after allowing a double to Nico Hoerner and a second two-run home run in as many innings, this time by Crow-Armstrong. Heaney walked the bases loaded over the next five at-bats, prompting Pirates manager Derek
Shelton to replace him after 70 pitches with reliever Kyle Nicolas, who retired Kelly on a grounder.
