Pirates Barely Escape Cubs For Extra Innings Win

He threw five innings, posting a career-high nine strikeouts, while allowing just four hits, a walk and one earned run over 77 pitches.

Ashcraft generated 16 whiffs on 39 swings, the most whiffs for him as a major leaguer, as he used his offspeed pitches incredibly well.

He got great movement on his curveball and slider, earning five strikeouts and three strikeouts on both pitches, respectively.

The only run Ashcraft gave up came in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he allowed a walk and then a single, which ended up putting both runners in scoring position, after Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds appeared to make a diving catch on a ball Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson hit, but the ball fell out of his glove after he hit the ground.

Ashcraft fell an inning short of his third quality start of 2026, but he's down to a 2.12 ERA and has been excellent so far in just first full season in the starting rotation.

It is also another great outing at Wrigley Field for Ashcraft, who threw two scoreless innings of relief on June 14 and allowed one earned run over five innings on Aug. 15 as a rookie in 2025.

Pirates Offense Gets Going Early, But Struggles Late On

Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz had a great day, with four hits in his first four at-bats and three stolen bases, the first game in his major league career doing that. He last had four hits vs. the Cubs at PNC Park on Aug. 27, 2024.

Cruz ledoff the game with a single, stole a base and moved up to third base, but the Pirates failed to score him.

The Pirates started the top of the second inning with designated hitter Marcell Ozuna walking and then third baseman Nick Yorke singling to put runners on the corners.

First baseman Spencer Horwitz hit into a double play, but scored Ozuna to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Cruz ledoff the top of the third inning with a single and a stolen base, second baseman Brandon Lowe walked and then Reynolds came through with a single, scoring Cruz from second base to double the Pirates' lead at 2-0.

Right fielder Ryan O'Hearn looked like he almost got a ball for a home run, but the wind greatly knocked it down, but still ended up a sacrifice fly, scoring Lowe and making it 3-0 to Pittsburgh.

The Pirates then missed many opportunities to add onto their lead throughout the rest of the game.

This included Yorke singling in the third inning and moving to second base on an error from Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, with Reynolds going to third base, but Horwitz popped out in foul territory for the last out.

Cruz had another single and a stolen base that saw him end up at third base with two outs in the fourth inning. Lowe would walk, but Reynolds grounded out and missed that opportunity.

Yorke hit a double in the fifth inning with two outs for his thrid hit of the game, but Horwitz grounded out, then Cruz hit a double in the sixth inning and moved to third base on a wild pitch, but Lowe struck out.

The Pirates had two baserunners on to start the seventh inning, with Reynolds singling and O'Hearn walking, but Ozuna hit into a double play and Yorke struck out.

Pittsburgh went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine batters on base through the first nine innings of this one, missing too many chances to give themselves a bigger lead.

Pirates Bullpen Can't Hold On to Lead

Left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery gave up a single to Cubs pinch-hitter Seiya Suzuki, but was great otherwise for the Pirates in the sixth inning, posting two strikeouts and a ground out to keep the Pirates ahead 3-1.

Right-handed relief pitcher Justin Lawrence continued his struggles in relief, walking catcher Miguel Amaya, giving up a single to right fielder Michael Conforto and then throwing a wild pitch, moving both runners into scoring position.

Lawrence would get two ground outs, scoring a run, then Pirates manager Don Kelly turned to left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto, who got pinch-hitter Carson Kelly to pop out on the first pitch and keep the Pirates ahead 3-2.

Right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson took the mound in the eighth inning and gave up two singles and got two outs as well.

He engaged in a 10-pitch at-bat with Amaya, which included a pitch called a ball that should've been a foul ball and a 2-2 count. Mattson battled through that and struck out Amaya on a high slider that he swung through to keep the Pirates in the lead.

Right-handed relief pitcher Dennis Santana got a ground out to start the bottom of the ninth inning, walked Swanson, and got a fly out for the second out, looking like he'd get his second save of the season.

Santana then had a passed ball behind catcher Henry Davis, moving Swanson to second base, and Kelly walked to put two runners on.

He then allowed a single to third baseman Alex Bregman, tying the game up at 3-3, but would get Happ to fly out and send the game into extra innings.

Pirates Win it in Extra Innings

The Pirates had a chance to retake the lead in the top of the 10th inning, especially with the speedy Jake Mangum on second base.

Pittsburgh missed out on that opportunity, as O'Hearn and Ozuna both flew out, Yorke walked, but pinch-hitter Nick Gonzales grounded out.

Right-handed relief pitcher Yohan Ramírez came on for the Pirates in the bottom of the 10th inning and had a tough task dealing with the Cubs needing just one thing to go right to win the game.

Ramírez struck out Suzuki for the first out and then intentionally walked center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

He then struck out Amaya, with an important second strike coming on an ABS challenge from Davis, but threw a wild pitch and walked Conforto to load the bases.

Ramírez would then get Swanson to ground out and escaped the 10th inning with no runs allowed, giving the Priates a chance to take the lead in the 11th inning.

Cubs left-handed relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar struck out both shortstop Konnor Griffin and pinch-hitter Joey Bart, but then intentionally walked Cruz.

Thielbar then faced Lowe and got a slow ground ball, but he made a poor throw that went wide of first baseman Michael Busch, allowing Nick Gonzales to score from second base and give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.

Ramírez did the same thing for the Pirates when he came back out for the bottom half of the 11th inning, grabbing a ball from second baseman hit by Nico Hoerner, but throwing it wide of O'Hearn at first base, moving both runners into scoring position.

He then got a fly out from Matt Shaw and then got Bregman and Suzuki to pop out, ending the game and giving the Pirates an exhilarating win.