Pirates Get Swept In Chicago

July 15, 2019 3:44 am

CHICAGO (AP) – Jason Heyward, Albert Almora Jr. and Kyle Schwarber hit home runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.  The NL Central leaders posted their first series win since taking all three from St. Louis on June 7-9.  Robel Garcia had a pair of doubles and Anthony Rizzo added two hits as Chicago improved to 32-16 at Wrigley Field.  Bryan Reynolds got two hits and drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which has dropped five of seven.  Cubs starter Jose Quintana (7-7) allowed three runs on six hits in six innings to win his third straight start. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.  Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by Garcia, before Pittsburgh rallied for three in the third to make it 3-1. Reynolds drove in the first run with a single, Starling Marte followed with a sacrifice fly and Jung Ho Kang capped the rally with an RBI double.  The Cubs pulled within 3-2 in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Quintana after David Bote had been intentionally walked. Quintana was 1 for 34 for the season before his hit off Trevor Williams (3-3).  Victor Caratini had a tying sacrifice fly in the fifth and Heyward hit a two-run homer for a 5-3 lead.  Almora had a pinch-hit homer in the sixth and Schwarber followed with a drive to right on the next pitch. Williams (3-3) was pulled after giving up a single to the next batter, Javier Baez, and Rizzo later had a sacrifice fly.