Polanco, Pirates edge Cubs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Gregory Polanco smacked a solo homer among his two hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in the third of a four-game set.
Vance Worley (2-1) allowed an unearned run over 5 2/3 innings, surrendering six hits and two walks with five strikeouts for Pittsburgh, which has won four of its last six games.
Jason Hammel (1-1) gave up four runs -- three earned -- on six hits with five punchouts over five frames for the Cubs, who won the first two games of the series.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Pirates were up 4-1 before the Cubs seriously threatened in the eighth.
Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro sandwiched singles around a Kris Bryant walk to load the bases with no outs. Miguel Montero slapped a base hit to left- center to score Rizzo.
Tony Watson came on to replace Jared Hughes. Pinch-hitter David Ross grounded into a force out at third after bouncing one to Jung-Ho Kang. Pinch-hitter Jonathan Herrera popped out in foul territory to end the inning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Watson blanked the Cubs in the ninth to complete the two-inning save.
The Pirates plated two runs in the second and added another in the third to jump out to a 3-0 lead.
Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez singled to begin the frame and Francisco Cervelli followed with a double to right to push across Marte. Kang lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Alvarez.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alvarez's sac fly in the third gave Pittsburgh its three-run cushion.
Castro's RBI groundout in the fourth got the Cubs on the board, but Polanco's leadoff blast to right in the fifth made it 4-1.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Pirates were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base, while Chicago finished 2-for-10 and stranded 10.