Kevin Newman's walk-off single drives Pirates to 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Cubs

On a night when the Pittsburgh Pirates proved there’s still some fight left in a last-place team, Joe Musgrove thought it was time.

It was time to put a foot down on the mound, which he did while helping carry the Pirates to a 3-2 victory Friday against the Chicago Cubs. It was only their seventh since the All-Star break in early July, but their third in the past four games.

Just as important, it was time to take a stand in the Pirates’ clubhouse where he hopes to eventually build a winning culture.

It was a stirring victory, punctuated by a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that erased the Cubs’ 2-1 lead.

First, rookie Cole Tucker tied it with a two-out, bases-loaded, pinch-hit walk on a 3-2 count– after he had driven nearly six hours from Indianapolis earlier in the day.

Then, Kevin Newman ended it with a single up the middle, also on 3-2. It was the third walk-off moment of his rookie season, following a double against the Cincinnati Reds in April and a walk against the San Diego Padres in June.

Newman gave credit to the crowd of 29,746, even though many of them were Cubs fans.

“As the crowd’s getting really loud, I kind of felt like everybody was on my side,” he said. “I know there were a good amount of Cubs fans out there, but I felt like it was 35,000 and me against one.”

It was a stirring victory, but it was only No. 51 among 121 games. After the crowd had gone home, Musgrove might have done his most important work away from the outside noise. No small feat when you consider he had tied a career high by striking out nine batters, walking no one and allowing only four hits over 7 1/3 innings. “Probably the best I felt all year,” he said.

With the door closed and an audience of teammates looking for guidance, Musgrove spoke.

“We talked and I told everybody these are the guys we’re going to have in here for the next couple years,” he said.

“Although this season might seem like a wash to some people, there are a lot of things to gain in the last month and a half of the season.

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a while, but it got to the point where I thought it was the right time to do it. We don’t want to wait until spring training or until the season starts next year to start building this energy and this momentum.”

Part of the talk centered on a new ritual players have adopted since taking two of three earlier this week against the Los Angeles Angels. They will name a player of the game who will pass along the honor after the next victory. Musgrove and Newman were the chosen ones Friday.

It’s all part of a larger plan to not allow the last six weeks of the season to go to waste.

“The last couple games we’ve tried to change the chemistry in here and the culture in the clubhouse a little bit and celebrate our wins a little more.

“Building that chemistry and building that unity is going to be really important.

“It’s easy for guys when they’re in first place or in the hunt to fight and battle and play hard. But when you’re in last place, it’s easy to just cash it in and let’s just make to the off-season and we’ll work then to get better for next year. “But these are live reps at the big league level that you don’t get anywhere else.”

The speech resonated with Tucker.

“Joe said it best,” he said. “Your earss perk up. When you’re the freshman and the upperclassman speaks up and says something, it hits home a little harder.”

Earlier, Tucker was one of three rookies in the middle of a rally that was required after All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez lost a 1-0 lead in the eighth by surrendering a two-run triple to Cubs No. 9 hitter Tony Kemp.

The Pirates’ rally started when rookie Bryan Reynolds bounced a one-out infield single between third and shortstop. After Starling Marte grounded weakly to the mound for the second out, Josh Bell was intentionally walked and Colin Moran was walked unintentionally to load the bases.

That brought up Tucker, who had been recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day and was making his first big-league at-bat in two months.

“I felt myself shaking,” he said, “and ball four to Colin I said, `Here we go.’

“I calmed down. I felt really good up there, like I had done it before even though I hadn’t.”

Hurdle said he predicted before the inning started that Tucker would win the game.

“I told (bench coach Tom) Prince and I told him, `You’re going to hit in the pitchers’ spot and you’re going to win the game.’ He got a walk and tied the game. I was wrong.

We needed to have a good at-bat right there and he gave us one. He showed some discipline.”

“I wanted to hit it to the moon,” Tucker said, “but I was clearly excited to walk.”

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