Game Highlights: Cubs Come from Behind to Beat the Pirates and Sweep the Series! | 8/28/24

The all star right hander, Paul Skeens is going for the Pirates. He's been lights out this season eight and two with a 2.16 a 130 strikeouts in 104 innings of work including six scoreless innings. Last time he pitched against Cincinnati. First start ever in center field o'neil Cruz. A sight right there. A different type of glove we've become accustomed to seeing from o'neil Cruz. Michael A Taylor looks like he provided that for him. Line drive and a base hit out of to left center field and that one's rolling. Cruz got a great arm. He'll pick it up, fire it in. But Hap's got a double. How about you have last 17 coming into this 16 homers over that stretch in at OPS over 1000 Michael Bush had the evening off last night swinging a ground ball to second base, moves up the runner and Williams playing over there today. Tosses to, to, for the first out here is Suzuki 276 overall. 19 home runs homered yesterday. 12 pitch. Yes. Yes, he did. They didn't appeal. They got to appeal. Yes. Oh, my goodness. Absolutely. I think that Grandal didn't realize that the home plate umpire Moscoso had not ruled a swinging strike. So that's why it took so long to ask for an appeal, obviously big strikeout two away. And here's cody Bellinger. 1st 13 starts for Keens. A 190 a last 43 and nine. So still very good on the ground to get through base RB I single and here comes hat for the Cubs have the lead. Cody Bellinger with two outs, pulls a base hit into right one , nothing Cubs outside corner down. Not a bad pitch at all. Just a good bit of hitting there from Bellinger Sts gives up a first inning run. Second time over his last nine starts. Fifth time overall in 18 starts. You cannot get a more opposite matchup than the pitchers we have here today. The only thing they have in common, they're both right handers, kyle Hendricks going for the Cubs three and 10 with a 6.33. Er, a he's coming off a no decision in Miami last Friday three runs in four and two thirds. He went with the curve again this right at, he had a good stretch by Bush out at first and reynolds two for seven in the series. A home run on Monday, his 20th of the season 194 career hitter against Hendrix drive to right field deep back Bellinger wall, clear the deck and a cannonball for Brian reynolds. Number 21 ties it at one. A moon shot from Brian Reynolds right here. Kyle Hendrix takes a shot at a front door sinker. And as I mentioned, doesn't throw very hard ryan Reynolds. All he has to do is pull his hands in. It's not 93 94 95. It's an 88 that line softly into left and had a base hit for Nikko Horner. Two disengagements right there. Let's see how aggressive Niko Horner decides to be very aggressive. Strike him out. Stolen base. Pete is three for eight in the series. Drove in a run with a bases loaded walk last night, drove in a run with a single on Monday night line drive and that's a base hit into center field. Here comes Niko Cruz can really throw that one to the play and Nikko is saved and Pete Armstrong is racing for third and he is in an RB I single and he ends up on third and the Cubs have the lead in the bottom of the order continues to do the job that throw by the way, 103.3 miles an hour, the second hardest throw this year by a defender. Now the infield is in, tapped on the ground and Armstrong comes home. Bethancourt does the job and it is three one so 2nd and 3rd for the Pirates bigger challenge with this next guy, Conor. Not a lot of swing and miss in his game and that will do the job IKF. He'll get the run in. Here's Brian reynolds who hit a long home run his first time up reynolds. Wow, what a big hit with two outs on a 22 pitch. He ties the game. What a clutch hit there from Brian Reynolds. Terrific piece of hitting that is cracked to left field, a line drive that carries over the head of hits so hard. RN gets to third Cruz posting into second with a double 112.7 off the bat. This ball was hammered. Brownie reynolds as soon as he reacts to this ball being hit with two outs. He's got no chance to score because it was hit so hard and tele at the plate tie game at three pop up. Stop Swanson. Oh, some miscommunication there scores two on what should have been the third out. Teles will be gifted a two run single. This ball had eyes right here. I think Pereda is going straight back, back, back pedaling on this ball probably cost him an out. I think Swanson assumed. Yeah, what a break. Not even two innings yet. There would be 11 hits and eight runs combined. Two teams. Pirates with four straight two out hits 1st and 2nd for mckinney the ninth Pirate to bat in the second inning like that to the left center gap. Billy mckinney ball bounces out of the play so that will cost him an RB I Joe will have to come back but he brings home one to Les from second nine to the plate and mckinney rips one into the left center field gap, shortest start of kyle Hendricks career. And now we'll see how Paul Skeens reacts to his team scoring five for him. Strike three call with the slider back to right into the strike zone. Strike three called, got another one back to back strikeouts for Skeens swinging a ground ball guided to second base Williams up with the cleanly and on to first a 123 inning for Paul Skeens Pirates lead it and now Connor joe who has walked and singled facing Ethan Roberts at the last out of the second inning drive to left field. Connor Joe crushes his ninth on the left field wall. Get back, Loretta Connor Joo second home run of the series for Connor joe. Go to the pool side, both of a right handed pitchers too. Pirates trying to add to their 7 to 3 lead runners at the corners. And now Alika Williams is coming up bunt and a one hopper to the mound that will score the run on a sacrifice bunt by Aliko Williams. He'll get a run batted in. It is 8 to 3 runners move up to 2nd and 3rd with two gone. Now for say Suzuki and we're continuing to think along with the Pirates here, he's got a five run lead. You've got to go five to get qualified for a w that bullpen a bit thin, deep third on the heels of his feet and a pick on the other end by Folo on to Tale and Skeens keeps the Cubs off the board. So one out 2nd and 3rd for Connor Joe has been on baseball three times today and it is going to be an RB I hit for Connor Joe and the ball gets past the left fielder and o'neill Cruz was just jogging into third but Then turns it on. Cruz was basically walking into third base and half overruns it. So Then Cruz Motors home and that's a big two runs single Rbie seven. And that will pretty much make an easy decision for Shelton of the Pirates to lifts facing Cody Bellinger deleted off. He swings and los one to center o'neil first fly ball today. Make the catch one out. Hooray. That's pretty funny. The whole boys cheered is that, that's the first one he's caught today. His first fly ball. It's a huge cheer from the crowd. So one out he's waving, who's he waving to at the court today making his eighth start with the Cubs probably around September 1st. Tonito should be ready, drilled out to left center field. That one is way back and forget it. God. Christian Bethancourt, way out of here. A two run homer and it's a 10, 5 game career high. Fourth hit of the day for Pete two men on one away. Christian Bethancourt batting. We're in the eighth inning ground ball, fair ball down the left field line. Bethancourt Swanson in to score PC A on his heels and we got ourselves a 10 7 game. How about that christian be the courts knocked in five today. The bullpen has been a problem for the Pirates at times this year. Despite the fact, as we documented last night, they've got hard throwers down there. Here's a ground ball up, the middle base hit to center. This ballgame is not over. Coming in to score on the play is bethancourt. It's now 10 to 8. Hap delivers an RB I single and the tying run will be at the plate instead of wisdom. It'll be Mike Taman Hinch hitting here in the eighth inning. A nice play by Alika Williams and that's a double play. That's a double play. The ball looked like it hit the dirt. Williams through to first and Craig Co is going to go crazy here because of what the umpire had ruled over at first base. Vic Carapazza saying hap was in no man's land and what was he supposed to do? But happ came off the bag and Joe tagged him. It looked at least from our angle Neil that uh, the ball hit the dirt. The bases are loaded for the Cubs here in the ninth inning one away. They trail by two and the batter is Dansby Swanson still only one out here in the ninth as the Cubs trying to come all the way back from a 10 to 3 deficit. One hop Williams flags it down to second one on the first. Not in time Bellinger scores and it's 10, 9. They're going to go ahead and walk Pete Crows strong and leave it up to Bethancourt. Bethancourt has knocked in a career high five looking for more 10, 92 outs in the ninth ground ball under the glove of the shortstop in the score. Vasquez Watson touches home and the Cubs have the lead. Christian Bethancourt has knocked in seven and the Cubs have come all the way back from a 10 3 deficit 710 man. Unbelievable what a rally they continue to press press press. This will be known as the Bethencourt game as the Cubs pull this one off. The Cubs fans who have hung around have been rewarded with a remarkable rally drive base hit to left center. Here comes Pete Crow Armstrong racing for third in court an RB I single and it's 12 to the ninth. Come to bat in the inning. Line drive out to left center and that's a base hit in to score is be in court Hale race to third and the hits just keep on coming. It's 1310. This is just remarkable rally for the ages here by the Cubs. Unbelievable how off the deck on a day like today, line drive out of the center field and a base hit in to score his hat. Toman will replace Hap at third RB I single Suzuki and it's 1410 as the extra point goes through the uprights. Hodge and the Cubs one strike away from the win of the year swing and a miss struck him out ball game Cubs win the win of the year. What a rally and comeback as they finish off the sweep in Pittsburgh.