Willson Contreras’ grand slam highlighted an eight-run first, and Wade Miley yielded just one hit over seven strong innings, as the Chicago Cubs snapped a five-game home skid with Monday night’s 9-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chicago led 4-0 when Contreras hit the 100th home run of his career, well into the left-center field bleachers off Bryse Wilson to clear the bases and essentially secure his team’s season-high third consecutive victory. Ian Happ and Yan Gomes each had three hits with an RBI for the Cubs.
Meanwhile, Miley (1-0) was brilliant after allowing three runs and five walks in three innings at San Diego in his Cubs’ debut on May 10. The veteran left-hander didn’t yield a hit until Michael Chavis’ two-out single in the fifth, and he struck out six without a walk.
A day after being no-hit but still winning 1-0 over Cincinnati, the Pirates’ offensive struggles continued while recording just three hits. Yoshi Tsutsugo and Rodolfo Castro each singled in the eighth for Pittsburgh, which has totaled six runs and been shut out twice while losing three of its last five.
Pirates starter Dillon Peters (3-1) faced just seven batters in the first. He was charged with five runs while giving up four hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning. Wilson, meanwhile, lasted 5 1-3 innings, giving up four runs — three earned — with eight hits and two walks.
Contreras opened the bottom of the first with a double to right-center. He scored on a double by Happ, who came home on Gomes’ single. Andrelton Simmons later delivered an RBI infield single in his first Chicago at-bat, and Gomes scored on a bases-loaded walk to Rafael Ortega to give Chicago a four-run lead.
Contreras followed with his second hit of the inning and his fourth career grand slam.
–Field Level Media