Nick Gonzales' 2-run single lifts Pirates over Cubs for 3rd win in 4 games at Wrigley

The Pittsburgh Pirates faced a familiar foe Sunday at Wrigley Field in their fourth and final game with the Chicago Cubs: Jameson Taillon.

The Pirates’ first-round (No. 2 overall) pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, Taillon started for Chicago and faced his friend and former teammate, Mitch Keller.

In a pitching duel between pals, the Pirates prevailed 3-2, with Keller outdueling Taillon in a collision of the club’s past and present.

A two-out, two-run RBI single by Nick Gonzales in the fifth gave the Pirates (22-26) the necessary boost to pull off the win and cap a seven-game road trip to Milwaukee and Chicago.

Keller (5-3, 3.84 ERA) turned in his third straight quality start, allowing two runs in six innings, striking out three, walking as many and hitting two batters.

Keller’s control left something to be desired Sunday, but he surrendered just two hits.

“I think the fact that he was able to empty the tank there — people get caught up in pitch counts a lot, and he threw 82 today — but he had to empty it in the sixth to get through it,” manager Derek Shelton said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “That was really important.”

As for Taillon, who took the loss, his day ended after 4²⁄₃ innings.

He settled down after allowing the game’s first run, a solo homer to Jack Suwinski in the second inning, but ran into trouble in the fifth, following a leadoff walk to Andrew McCutchen.

Bryan Reynolds then came to bat and got aboard with an infield single on which first base umpire Brennan Miller originally ruled him out.

The Pirates challenged successfully, and Taillon made a wild pitch, advancing McCutchen to third and Reynolds to second.

Responsible for both runners, Taillon exited the game, replaced by Hayden Wesneski, who promptly walked Connor Joe.

Then, Gonzales ripped his two-run single into center field for the winning hit, putting the Pirates ahead 3-1.

Gonzales was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a walk in the win, raising his batting average to .265.

In 10 games since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis May 10, Gonzales has eight RBIs.

“I think just hard work I put in through the offseason and now, I’m longer in the (strike) zone and able to make contact on breaking balls a little better and back-spinning the ball a little bit more,” Gonzales said.

Keller, if less accurate than usual, was effective, but the Cubs got one back in the sixth when a sacrifice fly by Christopher Morel scored Cody Bellinger, who tripled off the right-field wall.

Keller departed the game after six innings in line for the win.

Colin Holderman pitched a strong seventh, striking out two, followed by Aroldis Chapman, who also struck out a pair, in the eighth.

David Bednar took the mound in the ninth and quickly recorded two popouts.

But the Cubs, fresh from their walk-off victory Saturday afternoon, got a man aboard when Michael Busch walked.

Busch was replaced by pinch-runner Pete Crow-Armstrong, who quickly stole second base, getting into scoring position for pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom.

But Wisdom flew out to right field, sealing the win and handing Bednar his 10th save of the year.

Suwinski, although he continues to bat just .172 on the year, added a pair of walks to his home run Sunday.

Jared Triolo and McCutchen also went 2 for 4 in the win.