Pirates hold off Cubs to end skid

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Felipe Rivero (73) reacts to the final out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, on Friday, April 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)

CHICAGO — David Freese and Francisco Cervelli each drove in two runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs, 4-2, in their Major League Baseball match on Friday to end a four-game skid.

Pittsburgh right-hander Gerrit Cole (1-1) allowed two runs in six innings, striking out five. The Cubs loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning before Tony Watson retired Ben Zobrist on a bouncer to shortstop for his third save.

Freese doubled twice and scored two runs. The 33-year-old third baseman has reached safely in 12 of his last 15 plate appearances.

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The Pirates trailed 2-1 in the sixth when Freese hit a tying single and Cervelli had a two-run double.

Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-1) pitched five-plus innings and was charged with three runs and six hits. He allowed just one run during three wins against Pittsburgh last year.

NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 2, 10 innings

Washington Nationals’ Jayson Werth, top, celebrates with Bryce Harper, bottom, after Harper slid home to score the game-winning run on a double by Daniel Murphy during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, April 14, 2017, in Washington. The Nationals won 3-2. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON — Daniel Murphy hit a game-ending RBI double, sending Washington to the win.

Bryce Harper opened the 10th with a single off Jeanmar Gomez. Murphy then hit an opposite-field double to left and Harper came around to easily beat the throw.

The Phillies lost their fourth in a row. They took two of three from the Nationals in Philadelphia last weekend.

Shawn Kelley (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th inning. Gomez (1-1), who was removed from the closer’s role this week after filling it last season, threw a scoreless ninth before Washington broke through.

Murphy extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning single.