Yoshi Tsutsugo's 2-run double, bullpen key Pirates' comeback win over Cubs

For as much as the Pittsburgh Pirates are finding difficulty in getting a lead, their bullpen made protecting one a priority with a dominant performance against the Chicago Cubs.

Yoshi Tsutsugo’s two-run double in the fifth inning delivered the go-ahead run, and five Pirates relievers combined to hold the Cubs scoreless over the final six innings of a 4-3 comeback win Thursday night at Wrigley Field.

The Pirates (6-7) have had to come from behind in every win this season. The win, which snapped a three-game losing streak, was their fourth in which they were trailing by three or more runs.

“They keep fighting. They keep grinding,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It’d be nice if we could get a lead from the first inning and hold it until the last. It’d definitely help my heart. But they keep going and keep grinding and it’s a credit to them.”

Pirates right-hander Bryse Wilson struggled from the start, with a 34-pitch first inning in which four of the first five batters reached base, three by walk. Wilson gave up a leadoff single to Rafael Ortega and walked Willson Contreras and Ian Happ. Frank Schwindel then drew a bases-loaded walk to score Ortega for a 1-0 lead and Jonathan Villar followed with a sacrifice fly to left to score Contreras for a 2-0 edge.

The Cubs tacked on another run when Patrick Wisdom started the second with a single, advanced to third on a single by Nico Hoerner and scored on Seiya Suzuki’s groundout to third for a 3-0 lead.

Daniel Vogelbach closed the gap with a two-run homer, a 406-foot shot to right-center to cut it to 3-2 in the third. The Pirates put the go-ahead run on base when Bryan Reynolds drew a walk and Ke’Bryan Hayes singled, but Tsutsugo grounded into a double play to end the rally.

Wilson finally got a 1-2-3 inning in the third, thanks to a double play and a catch at the warning track by Cole Tucker in right. Shelton turned to Wil Crowe to stop the bleeding, as he struck out five without a walk while giving up one hit in 2⅓ innings. The former starter extended his scoreless streak to 12 innings over five relief appearances. Lefty Dillon Peters retired the final two batters in the sixth, extending his hitless streak to 25 consecutive batters.

“We’re just going after guys,” Crowe said. “We’re doing our jobs. We’re trying to get to the next man, get to the next inning, get the next out.”

Cubs starter Mark Leiter Jr. was replaced by Ethan Roberts after throwing 72 pitches over four innings, and the Pirates took immediate advantage of the rookie right-hander in the fifth. Sparked by Hoy Park’s one-out double to left, Vogelbach and Hayes walked to load the bases and Tsutsugo lined a two-run double down the left field line to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.

“He hit in a tough situation,” Shelton said. “Backdoor cutter, he stayed on it and drove the ball. Big at-bat. That’s the one thing we know about Yoshi: Regardless of where he’s at, he’s going to give us really good at-bats.”

Reynolds got a triple in the seventh when he bounced a 49.4-mph grounder 79 feet into foul territory in left field and sped past second with Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner in pursuit when he saw third base was left uncovered. Hayes walked to put runners on first and third, but Tsutsugo grounded into a double play to end the scoring threat.

Hoerner ended up at third base in the bottom of the seventh when he stole second on Ortega’s strikeout and catcher Roberto Perez’s throw went into the outfield. But Shelton brought in David Bednar to face Suzuki, who was boasting a 1.296 OPS. Bednar struck Suzuki out on three fastballs to protect the one-run lead.

“I wanted to be agressive with it,” Bednar said. “I knew it was a big spot. I just wanted to get back in the dugout without giving up any runs.”

The Pirates had another chance to extend their lead in the eighth when Ben Gamel and Perez singled, but Kevin Newman drew a called third strike on a check swing to strand both runners. David Robertson struck out Tsutsugo in the ninth with Hayes on first.

Chris Stratton finished off the Cubs with a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first save.

The relievers combined to strike out 10 batters, allow one hit and one walk in six scoreless innings, a performance Shelton called “outstanding.”

“They came through and got big outs for us, able to get us out of a couple jams,” Shelton said. “Just an unbelievable outing.”