Wisdom’s HRs lift Cubs to 5-4 win over Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Connor Joe (2) scores from third on a sacrifice fly to right field by Jared Triolo off Cubs relief pitcher Colten Brewer during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH — Cody Bellinger hit a go-ahead single before Patrick Wisdom added insurance with a home run in the 10th inning, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for a series victory.

Bellinger led off by dribbling a ball through the left side of the infield off Aroldis Chapman (0-3), scoring automatic runner Seiya Suzuki before getting caught in a rundown between first and second. Wisdom drove a two-out sinker, the seventh pitch of the at-bat, 412 feet into the center-field bushes.

“It’s a testament to the resiliency and, I think, the consistency of our team,” Wisdom said. “But also in the lineup, putting together good at-bats, hitting the ball hard, not letting the hard-hit balls that are caught discourage us. … Knowing guys are going to start scoring. It’s just a matter of time.”

Chapman left with a cracked nail on his throwing hand after going down 3-0 to Nick Madrigal with two outs and runners on first and second. Kyle Nicolas entered, completing the walk of Madrigal before Mike Tauchman scored on a passed ball.

Connor Joe led off the bottom half with his fifth home run, a two-run shot into the bleachers in left. Adbert Alzolay went on to walk Jack Suwinski before retiring the next three batters for his fourth save.

Chicago has won five of eight after taking two of three from Pittsburgh, which is 7-16 since an 11-5 start.

“We pitched so well today,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Just kept giving our guys another chance, the pitcher kept giving our hitters another chance. Eventually, we broke through.”

The Pirates had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth. Hector Neris (3-0) then got Bryan Reynolds to ground into a comebacker for a force out and Oneil Cruz to fly out to center.

“We had chances to win the game, for sure. That’s baseball,” Joe said. “There’s nothing guaranteed. It’s not easy to hit in those situations. There’s plenty of opportunities throughout the game. It’s not just one inning.”

Christopher Morel put the Cubs up 2-0 in the first, sending a curveball from Bailey Falter 397 feet to left for his ninth home run.

Falter gave up two runs and five hits in six innings.

Cruz hit a sinker from Kyle Hendricks 183 feet high, dropping it into the first row above the Clemente Wall in right to lead off the fourth. He leads Pittsburgh with seven homers, including four in his past eight games after a 17-game drought.

“You don’t see very many balls that are hit that high that get out,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “But he does things, at times, that surprise all of us.”

Hendricks came off the 15-day injured list, going five innings to allow one run and two hits with four walks and five strikeouts. The veteran right-hander had not started since April 21 because of lower back pain.

“Progress,” Hendricks said. “Just felt good to keep the boys in a game, give us a chance to win.”

Joe scored on a sacrifice fly from Jared Triolo to tie it 2-all in the sixth before Suwinski, with runners on first and second for Chicago, charged to his right for a diving catch that robbed Suzuki of a likely go-ahead double in the seventh.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (5-0, 1.08) is set to take the mound Monday for the first of a three-game series in Atlanta.

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (3-3, 4.41) will start Monday to start a three-game series at Milwaukee, his first outing since allowing one run on five hits in a complete game against the Angels on May 6.