Seiya Suzuki hit two home runs and drove in three runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8-3 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon.
Suzuki hit one of the Cubs’ three solo home runs in the fifth inning off Pirates ace Paul Skenes (3-3) to erase a 2-0 deficit and help the Cubs take two of three games in the series.
Suzuki first home run of the game came in the fifth, after blasts by Dansby Swanson and Kyle Tucker, who has eight homers this season.
Suzuki went 2-for-3 and then hit his ninth homer of the season in the top of the seventh when he hit a slider from reliever Kyle Nicolas over the left field fence for a two-run shot.
Chicago’s Ian Happ went 3-for-4 with an RBI double in the ninth, and Michael Busch went 2-for-5, also driving in two runs in the inning.
The three home runs were the most Skenes, 22, has allowed in a game in his brief career. Skenes, who also matched a career-high with four walks, pitched his shortest outing of the season, going five innings and allowing three runs and five hits while striking out only two.
For Chicago, Swanson finished 2-for-4 with two runs and opened the fifth by hitting his sixth homer of the season.
Chicago’s power display backed up another strong start by Colin Rea (2-0), who allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two over six innings.
Bryan Reynolds drove in two runs and put Pittsburgh ahead in the bottom of the first when he belted a sinker from Rea over the right field wall for his fourth homer of the season. Oneil Cruz drove in Pittsburgh’s other run, in the third on an RBI double that scored Henry Davis.
The Pirates threatened in the bottom of the eighth when Davis singled and advanced to second on a throwing error after Cruz reached on a fielder’s choice groundball. Davis scored on a groundout by Reynolds to cut Chicago’s lead to 5-3. But Pittsburgh stranded runners on the corners to end the inning when Ke’Bryan Hayes flew out.
Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing with plate umpire Lance Barrett from the dugout.
