Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Match Player Stats On Aug 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 29, 2017

CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta tossed six scoreless innings, and Ben Zobrist broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer to help lift the Chicago Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

The victory was the second straight and third in four games for the NL Central-leading Cubs (71-60), who pushed the Pirates (63-70) nine games out of the division lead.

Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl (6-10) took the loss after working 5 1/3 innings, his second straight defeat and third in his past four outings.

Arrieta (14-8) picked up the victory after allowing two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He closed August with a 4-1 record and one no-decision.

Wade Davis, the fifth Cubs pitcher of the night, worked the ninth for his 27th save.

Kuhl contained the Cubs until the sixth.

Zobrist's homer to right-center to lead off the inning was his 10th of the season and second since Saturday. It came on a 2-2 count after he had fouled off four pitches.

Kyle Schwarber then walked, Anthony Rizzo doubled to shallow right with one out and Kuhl intentionally walked Tommy La Stella to load the bases for Alex Avila.

Avila lined a single to right to score Schwarber for a 2-0 lead, ending Kuhl's night.

Right-hander A.J. Schugel entered and the Cubs quickly made it 3-0 as Jason Heyward's sacrifice to left brought in Rizzo from third.

Kuhl allowed three runs on seven hits through 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven, walked three and threw 96 pitches.

Arrieta was also finished after six, replaced in the seventh by right-hander Koji Uehara.

Uehara yielded a one-out homer to John Jaso, the right fielder's ninth of the year. Pedro Strop struck out Jose Osuna to end the seventh.

Strop worked one inning, and Brian Duensing closed the eighth.

Rizzo made it 4-1 with none out in the eighth with his second double of the night, driving in Kris Bryant. It was Rizzo's 200th career double.

Rizzo went 3-for-4 while Zobrist and Heyward had two hits apiece. Jaso went 2-for-2 for Pittsburgh.

NOTES: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that RHP Juan Nicasio (2-5) would be placed on irrevocable outright waivers. ... For the first time in seven games, the Pirates were not retired in order in the first inning, as No. 2 hitter Josh Harrison singled to left. ... The Pirates send RHP Ivan Nova (11-11, 3.97 ERA) against Chicago LHP Jose Quintana (4-3, 4.50 ERA with Cubs) in the series finale Wednesday. Quintana, traded to the Cubs by the White Sox, is 8-11 overall with a 4.49 ERA through 26 starts. ... The Cubs have a major-league-best six players with at least 10 home runs at home this season and have tied a big league record with four 20-homer seasons by players age 25 or younger (Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez). ... Chicago RHP Wade Davis has converted a franchise-record 27 consecutive save opportunities.