For the second game in a row, the Pirates got great pitching from a starter who was not on the opening day roster. Brandon Cumpton followed up Vance Worley’s quality start Saturday night with a gem of his own, going seven scoreless innings and giving up only two hits in the Pirates 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Cumpton (3-2) was able to control the Cubs lineup all afternoon, including retiring 12 straight batters at one point through the first five innings, helping the Pirates (38-39) get a much needed series win against the last place Cubs (31-42)
Travis Snider got a rare start, replacing Starling Marte in left field. Snider rewarded the Pirates by hammering a Jason Hammel fastball over the left center field fence in the top of the third, giving the Bucs a 1-0 lead.
Hammel’s third inning struggles continued, as he then walked catcher Chris Stewart, Cumpton then sacrificed Stewart to second, who then advanced to third compliments of a Gregory Polanco groundout.
Josh Harrison continued his consistent play with another RBI after he ripped a liner off of Hammel’s leg, allowing Stewart to score, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Harrison added a steal to his increasingly impressive stats over the past month.
Cumpton allowed one hit over the next four innings, a bloop single by Hammel, but was otherwise in complete control throughout. Cumpton was efficient also, needing only 87 pitches to get through seven full innings.
Tony Watson, who continues to make a case for an All-Star bid, assumed his new role as set up man for the Pirates in the eighth. After Junior Lake reached first on a bunt and Darwin Barney stroked a single down the third base line, pitcher Travis Wood was called upon to sacrifice Lake and Barney. He did the job, and with two strikes Wood moved the runners to second and third.
Watson then hunkered down and was able to display why he has been one of the best relievers in the National League, striking out Luis Valbuena and Nate Schierholtz back to back to get out the jam, and hold the Pirates 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, newly-named closer Mark Melancon looked for his second save in 24 hours. As has been the case much of the year, the ninth inning provided more drama than Pirates fans would have like. Anthony Rizzo led off with a single to right, and Starlin Castro followed with a single, advancing Rizzo to third.
Melacon was able to strike out Valbuena and after Schierholtz was able to score Rizzo on a groundout, making it 2-1 Pirates. With two outs, Melancon was able to force Lake into a lazy flyout, and Melancon got his 12th save of the season, and a another series win for the Pirates versus the Cubs.
The Pirates have won five straight series against the Cubs, and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 series overall.
They will continue their brief road trip with another series against a last place team, this time it will be a three game set versus the Tampa Bay Rays (31-46). The series starts tomorrow night as Edinson Volquez (4-6, 4.67 ERA) faces Alex Cobb (2-5, 3.48 ERA).
