Happ homers again and Skenes loses his 3rd straight start as the Cubs sink the Pirates 7-2
PITTSBURGH -- — Ian Happ homered for the second consecutive game and the Chicago Cubs handed Paul Skenes his third straight loss with a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
The win came one night after the Cubs ended a 10-game losing streak. Happ hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning of that game.
Happ had three hits on Thursday, including a two-run homer in the eighth that pushed the Cubs’ lead to 5-2. He has reached base safely in 41 consecutive games in Pittsburgh, the city where he grew up. Seiya Suzuki had two hits and two RBI for Chicago.
Skenes (6-5) lost his third straight start despite striking out 10 in 5 1/3 innings. The 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner fanned six batters in a row from the first to the third.
Only one of the three runs against Skenes was earned, as third baseman Tyler Callihan and shortstop Jared Triolo made throwing errors in a two-run sixth inning that extended the Cubs’ lead to 3-0.
Colin Rea (5-3) won for the first time in five starts, allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Hoby Milner, Caleb Thielbar and Trent Thornton combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Bryan Reynolds homered for the Pirates.
Pittsburgh third baseman Nick Gonzales exited after the third inning with left knee discomfort.
Pirates: Host the Minnesota Twins and former Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton in a three-game series beginning Friday. Pirates RHP Jared Jones will make his first major league appearance since 2024, a little more than a year after undergoing elbow surgery. RHP Taj Bradley (5-1, 2.77) starts for the Twins.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Game Momentum
Line above centre = home team favoured. Line below = away team favoured. Closer to centre = tighter game.
