Not much goes right for Bucs in game to forget

PITTSBURGH -- After a game like that, a 13-run loss to a division rival fighting for its playoff life, manager Derek Shelton kept his postgame message on Tuesday simple.

On a night when the Pirates mustered one run, struck out 16 times, allowed the home run cycle and surrendered an eight-run eighth inning en route to a 14-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field, all that any member of the black and gold wanted to do was let an aberration be an aberration.

“That’s a game we have to flush,” Shelton said. “They just came out and beat us. So, we have to flush it and move on and come back out tomorrow.”

Entering the bottom of the eighth, the Pirates, trailing 6-1, were headed toward a run-of-the-mill loss.

Bailey Falter, typically used in a starting or bulk role, was the opener, allowing a two-run homer to Dansby Swanson in his one inning. Quinn Priester, who grew up in the Chicago area, allowed four runs across a career-high six innings in the bulk role. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit his 14th home run of the year, a solo shot to right field, despite the wind howling toward left field.

That five-run cushion, though, more than doubled as the Cubs welcomed Kyle Nicolas in the right-hander’s Major League debut.

Nicolas’ night went like this: hit-by-pitch, groundout, walk, walk, grand slam, single, single. Six earned runs, one out recorded.

Following Nicolas’ departure, Cody Bellinger put an exclamation point on Chicago’s blowout win with a three-run home run off left-hander Jose Hernandez. Chicago completed the rare “home run cycle” with Seiya Suzuki’s solo homer, Swanson’s two-run shot, Bellinger’s three-run dinger and Alexander Canario’s grand slam.

The Pirates’ contests against the Cubs this season haven’t been all that close. With two games remaining, Pittsburgh has lost 10 of 11 games against Chicago and has been outscored 88-28. Chicago has scored at least seven runs in eight head-to-head matchups, and at least 10 runs in five games.

“We’ve seen with this club here that if you leave the ball in the middle of the plate -- and we left a ton of balls in the middle of the plate tonight -- they’re going to do damage, especially the guys that hit them,” said Shelton.

Added Priester: “Shoot, they’re just a good team. They hit the ball, give themselves an opportunity, and they capitalized on our mistakes, especially when we gave them free passes. They’ll capitalize. We have to limit that.”

The Pirates will send All-Star Mitch Keller to the mound on Wednesday night. He's the only Pittsburgh pitcher who has really been able to solve the Cubs this season. A month ago, Keller pitched eight shutout innings against Chicago at home, striking out six batters and allowing one walk.

“These games aren’t going to happen all the time,” Priester said. “Those innings aren’t going to happen all the time. I’ve got to keep it closer to keep us in a game there and do my part.”