Pirates hold off Cubs to end skid | Inquirer Sports

Pirates hold off Cubs to end skid

/ 02:45 PM April 15, 2017

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)

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.

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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.

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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

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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 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.

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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.

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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.

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TAGS: chicago cubs, Major League Baseball, MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates

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