Cubs Crush Four Homers in Dominant Rout Over Pirates

Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki both hit home runs as part of their three-hit performances, with the Chicago Cubs collectively smashing four homers en route to a dominating 9-0 win against the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday evening.

While ending a two-game losing streak, the Cubs also handed the Pirates their third successive defeat and their fifth shutout loss of the season.

Shota Imanaga (3-1) pitched for 87 throws, giving up only six hits across five plus innings without yielding any runs. He also struck out three batters and walked just one during this time, helping Chicago secure their team’s fourth shutout victory of the year. However, he had to leave the game because of leg cramps right after surrendering his first extra-base hit—a double from Andrew McCutchen—to begin the bottom part of the sixth inning.

The Chicago Cubs' relief pitching staff maintained control over Pittsburgh, with Daniel Palencia, Caleb Thielbar, and Tom Cosgrove collectively yielding just one hit across four scoreless innings.

Joey Bart achieved 2-for-2 with two walks, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa contributed two hits as well for the Pirates.

Palencia had Bart walk McCutchen following his double in the sixth inning, but subsequently recovered and struck out the next three hitters consecutively to neutralize the danger.

In every spot of Chicago's batting order, there was at least one player who got a hit. Kelly contributed three runs batted in, whereas both Suzuki and Kelly along with Pete Crow-Armstrong ended up with two RBIs apiece.

The course of the game changed significantly during the fourth inning following Pirates' starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (2-2), who managed to retire the first 11 hitters he confronted at the beginning of the match.

Suzuki concluded that series with a two-out double to center field. This was then followed by Kelly who hit his seventh homer of the year—a 418-foot shot to left-center field. That home run put an end to Heaney’s streak of 20 consecutive innings without conceding any runs.

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 couldn’t make it through the fifth inning after giving up a double to Nico Hoerner and a subsequent two-run homer in consecutive frames, courtesy of Crow-Armstrong. Over his next five plate appearances, he issued walks to load the bases, which led to Pirates’ skipper Derek

Shelton will bring in Kyle Nicolas as a relief pitcher after 70 pitches have been thrown. Nicholas then got Kelly out on a ground ball.

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