Game Highlights: Cubs Score Season-High in Runs in Rout of Pittsburgh! | 8/26/24

We were told by Manager Derek Shelton that o'neil Cruz would be shifting from shortstop to center field. You don't want to call this a bombshell announcement, but it's certainly a, a big thing for this organization. Well, I think the change with o'neill, it's something that, that we've been talking about. It's not something that we took lightly. I mean, he's an unbelievable athlete. Uh, we feel it's probably the best position for him and for the Pirates and wanted to make sure that we got a runway of games going into next year. And obviously he's disappointed. I mean, anybody that plays shortstop wants to play shortstop and that's how it is. But I think the one thing we know about o'neill Cruz is he's an unbelievable athlete. He's a really good teammate and he wants to do and he wants to win. And I think that's the most important thing Nick Gonzalez, he's been out about a month. He returns, got to be a, anxious to get that first A B that first ground ball and tonight it's going to be Mitch Keller coming off of a very strong outing and really, we've been seeing that quite regularly from these Pirates with scoreless outings from their starters and Keller. No exception, his last time out stepping in as we are ready for baseball, ground ball up the middle, knocked down turns and throws. It will be an infield hit for a second. Like IKF had that in his glove just kind of crowded a little bit, but just kicked a little too far away to make that play fly ball into the sun field. And left reynolds with the sunglasses on makes the catch one out one away. A man at first the batter sean Suzuki another 32 pitch from Keller. And again, hap takes off as a strikeout from his right knee. Randall's throw not going to get him a 10 pitch at bat right here from Suzuki. Nice sweeper right there. This is a stolen base, two outs , steals and 12 tries for ha Ha at second two outs and Cody Bellinger coming up for Chicago lines to left. There's Reynolds and Mitch Keller after giving up a infield hit, he retires. The next three back home again is Jamison Ty originally drafted by the Pirates second overall pick in 2010. He doesn't walk people and he's got a real good sweeper. He's got himself one out here in the bottom of the first. Here's Brian reynolds facing his ex teammate popped up and Swanson pointing it out PC A and hat. It'll be hat to make the catch one at the plate. Talls, which hitter batting left handed in there, got him, Tyo freezes Cruz and the Pirates go 123 end of one here in Pittsburgh, it's out number one and the batter Nikko Horner off the end of the bat softly hit center field charging in his bay and it's off his glove and racing for second is Nico Horner and it looked like GW was playing a little bit to that right center field gap. It looked like he got a pretty decent start. It was one of those balls off the bat that was hit toward the end that an outfielder kind of sees it being hit harder than it actually is. He had a pretty good chance of securing that and just hits off the thumb of his glove right there in scoring position. Hitting at 227 Swanson 10 home runs takes off for third pitch is outside and Nikko has it stolen porter with his 25th and 28 tries. Here's Niko with one out getting himself to third base giving Dansby a pitch to work with here on three and two foul big time strikeout of Swanson moments after that stolen base well placed two seem right here for Mitch right on the corner and here is Pete Crow Armstrong. Sounds like he's got some friends, possibly family members in attendance slack the other way and a base hit good work there stayed back and hammers that fastball RB I single for Pete Crow Armstrong and the Cubs have the lead. The ascension of PC A has been quite a story for the Cubs over the last few weeks. This time, the foot down early knows a little single to get the job done, time to run. There he goes, they kind of pitched out throw down to second too late. And Pete Crow Armstrong is in there with stolen base number 24. He's only been caught once Keller has allowed 21 steals on the mound this year. So some of these Cubs trying to take advantage early in the game guys at the bottom of the order. How about Umaya eight for his last 13 at bats over his last four games, including a pair of homers on the ground base hit right field. Here comes Pete Crow Armstrong on his way in a base hit miguel Amaya bottom of the order just keeps on hitting. It's two zip. Be careful here with half. He's got decent power RB I guy that's hammered base hit into right field de La Cruz over to pick it up. Ha sprinting to second and the third is miguel Maya all conference indeed. And this is a fastball up in the zone above the waist to Ian. He just turns this pitch around with a single and a double already. And now two in scoring position for Michael Bush Keller toss to first two stranded but two in and two nothing Cubs they say Suzuki to lead it off. Struck out in a 10 pitch at bat back in the first inning. That one is fair down the line and it's going to kick off the side wall. Where did it go? Where did it go? Disappeared? It just disappeared. Did it roll under the screen? It's an automatic double kids. It went under the gates. How does that? He hit it so hard, he fla it out , it just disappeared. Well, that's the sixth hit already for the Cubs here tonight. Right down the third baseline goes Suzuki and yeah, Abracadabra, it's like one of those video game things you enter a certain portal just it's a short cut, Suzuki at second for Bellinger line drive right field and that gets down and it's going to get up against the wall. Suzuki is coming around to score. Bellinger replaces him at second three, nothing on the RB I double and they're hanging out some line drives here tonight after scoring 14 runs on Saturday held to just two on six hits in yesterday's ball game, but the bats are on fire again here tonight. First triple for Triolo Jan Bay is the batter that will do it well done run in Harvey, a third baseman and the pitcher were the only spots that that ball was hit on the ground that could cause Jared Trilo to not score right here. One run in. And now Conor falefa in the year that is well struck, left center field, half is back and he makes the catch out there in the triangle by the 410 marker right up against the cub bullpen. Well done. Here's Brian reynolds. There's a line drive to right field by Reynolds. And how about that line drive homer Anchor down Bray his 20th and suddenly it's 3 to 2. The home run drought is over for reynolds. Well, Reynolds hits this one on a line about 300 call it 342 ft. We'll get a number on that. A pitcher hits the ball about 406 ft for you. Love this game, greg. That's right. The Cubs a great scoring chance. Now with men at 1st and 3rd and nobody out and the batter is Miguel Amaya Cubs lead by a run and that's a base hit PC is going to score. Swanson is in Armstrong on his heels. Miguel Amaa comes through, he's docked in three here tonight and some breathing room. It's five to two back to back strikeouts after AMAA doubled and Then was bought to third, but he's still at third with two down and now it will take a base hit or a mistake as Suzuki steps in lined to center field and a base hit a Suzuki an RB I single and more insurance for the Cubs as they lead it 6 to 2 intentional walk. Cody Bellinger will take his base and now they're all loaded up and a chance for Niko Horner outside ball four and he walked in a run and the Cubs now lead it 7 to 2. Dansby Swanson led off the inning with a base on Bones and he will now bat for the second time in the inning. That one trailed left field Swanson on loads. Dansby Swats in a grand slam and the Cubs have opened it up here in Pittsburgh. It is 11 2. Get that man. A tomato sandwich. Dansby goes deep and the Cubs break it wide open two on in scoring position with one out for Triola down to third run will score RB. I Triolo two outs. Jwan Bay had an RB I in the third inning and fighting it off G one bay two out single for bay. Give him his second RB I tonight and the Pirates make it 11 to 4 us nothing for three with a walk in the year left field and that one well struck on its way and gone. He sacked pus unloads and it's 12 4. And for Pus, he needed that number 19 one out in the inning. Still bags loaded Cubs on top 12 4. Here's Brian de La Cruz. Oh diving stop beats the rapid first. He gets an RB I great stop by Peredes to get an out Cruz to third RB I fielder's choice for Brian de La Cruz. It's 12 to 5 breaking ball. He walked to reload the bases for the Pirates and Triolo three productive at bats tonight. A triple single and RB, I bounce out, bring home a run. Did they get him in the elbow guard? Sounded like it. Got the elbow guard. Give Triolo his second run batted in tonight. Pirates aren't going to go away. You go to third one out lefty to lefty now, Michael Bush, the batter, Michael needs a base hit. He is nothing for five line drive and a base hit out of the left center. So he comes up with his first knock of the night produces a run and it's 13 six and here is sean Suzuki sean with a couple of knocks on the ground right side. It will get through awkward swing as Suzuki ends up with his fourth hit of the night four hit ball game good for him. Four hits cody Bellinger an RB I double in the third inning in the air center field. That one is hammered that one on its way and that's off the wall. Here comes Busch around. He will score Suzuki into third and Bellinger just missed a homer and it is 14 to 6 line drive and a base hit out to left field. One run is in Bellinger will stop at third and the hits just keep on coming. Here is Rody Telez. This will be his third pitching appearance in the major leagues once last year with the Brewers center field, juan Bay is there bagging from third and coming in to score is Bellinger. So now the bases are loaded, gets klunk in to score and now we'll go back to the top of the order in and that's ball four. So another run comes in and it's 18 6. It's a one out single. Connor Joe, the batter five ball deep right here home run. Connor joe. Well, the good news is the Pirates have scored six runs in the last three innings. The bad news is they still have 10 runs to score nonetheless. A great swing off the bat of Connor Joe. Brian da Cruz, the batter, two outs swing and a miss and that's the ball game Cubs. Take the opener here in Pittsburgh, I'll say 18 runs on 21 hits and finish it off 18, 8.