Davies, Pederson lead Cubs over Pirates 3-2, 4th win in row

Zach Davies allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings, Rex Brothers got his first save in eight years and the Chicago Cubs held on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Friday, extending their winning streak to four.

Joc Pederson had three hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who were coming off a three-game sweep of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Javier Báez and David Bote had two hits each.

Chicago got back to .500 at 16-16.

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, right, congratulates starting pitcher Zach Davies after Davies got out of a no outs, base-loaded jam during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Pittsburgh has lost seven of eight and is last in the NL Central at 13-18. The Pirates have six runs in their last five games.

Davies (2-2), acquired from San Diego in a seven-player deal in December, had his best outing for the Cubs on a chilly day at Wrigley Field, with the wind blowing in. The slender right-hander limited the Pirates to five singles while walking one and hitting a batter, and he lowered his ERA from 8.22 ERA to 6.30.

Colin Morin and Jacob Stallings had two hits each. Pittsburgh rallied for two runs off relievers Andrew Chafin and Ryan Tepera in the ninth — and loaded the bases with two outs.

Chicago Cubs' Matt Duffy (5) and Anthony Rizzo celebrate their win over the Pittsburgh Pirates after a baseball game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Todd Frazier had a run-scoring a groundout, and Ka’ai Tom had an RBI single.

Pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo dumped a bloop single into center off Brothers, who then hit Adam Frazier with a pitch to load the bases. But Brothers got Bryan Reynolds to fly out to end it, and earn his first save since Sept. 29, 2013, when he earned his 19th that season, for Colorado at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the seventh, but Davies fielded Frazier's tapper and got a forceout at the plate. Tom followed with a comebacker, and Davies started an inning-ending double play.

Chicago Cubs' David Bote (13) scores past Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings, on a single by Joc Pederson, during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Trevor Cahill (1-4) allowed three runs — two earned — and eight hits in five innings. The right-hander could only chuckle as he got the Pirates first hit in the third.

With Tom at first, Cahill fouled off two sacrifice bunt attempts behind 0-2 in the coubt. He pushed his third attempt to the right side and past charging Cubs infielders to reach base.

Pederson trotted home with an unearned run in the first when Phillip Evans dropped Anthony Rizzo’s fly near the close-in right-field sidewall.

Chicago Cubs' Joc Pederson swings for an RBI single off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Trevor Cahill in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. David Bote scored on the play. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Pederson had an RBI single in the second, and Matt Duffy hit a sacrifice fly to short center against the wind in the third.

CUBS ROSTER MOVE

Chicago designated LHP Kyle Ryan for assignment and recalled LHP Jason Adam from Triple-A Iowa.

Chicago Cubs' Matt Duffy watches his sacrifice fly off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Trevor Cahill during the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. Javier Baez scored on the play. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Manager Craig Shelton expects RHP Chad Kuhl (right shoulder discomfort) to throw live batting practice within the next few days. ... 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (left wrist strain) has resumed swinging a bat, but there’s no timetable for his return. Hayes hit .376 in 24 games as a rookie last year, but has been out since the second game of this season.

Cubs: Placed CF Ian Happ (bruised ribs) on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 4. Happ was out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game after being taken from the field in a cart following a collision with 2B Nico Hoerner during Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati. ... The Cubs selected the contract of OF Nick Martini from Iowa. Martini, from suburban Crystal Lake, pinch hit for Davies in the seventh and flied out.

Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez, right, greets Matt Duffy outside the dugout after Baez scored on Duffy's sacrifice fly during the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Fon riday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

UP NEXT

Pirates RHP Wil Crowe (0-1, 4.66) takes the mound against Cubs RHP Trevor Williams (2-2, 6.00) on Saturday. Williams will face Pittsburgh, his former team, for the second time.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Zach Davies delivers during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Trevor Cahill delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Friday, May 7, 2021, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Roberto Perez drove in three runs, Michael Chavis broke a tie with a home run in the fourth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Friday night.

The Cubs were held scoreless over the final seven innings by Pirates left-hander Jose Quintana and four relievers in a game that started nearly six hours late because of forecasted inclement weather.

The Pirates have won two consecutive games, while the Cubs dropped their fourth consecutive game.

Pittsburgh Pirates' Michael Chavis is congratulated for his home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Perez hit a two-run single in the second to snap a streak of 10 2/3 scoreless innings by Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly (1-1) to start the season. Perez led off the fifth with his first homer of the season to extend the Pirates’ lead.

After going hitless in his previous 10 at-bats, Perez has three hits in his last six at-bats.

Michael Hermosillo snapped an 0-for-12 slump to start the season by hitting a two-run double in the second to account for the Cubs’ scoring.

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, right, dives safely back to first on a pickoff-attempt by Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar, back left, to Michael Chavis (2) in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Two batters earlier, Quintana was struck on the left leg by a line drive by Jonathan Villar but stayed in the game. Quintana, who pitched for the Cubs from 2017-20, pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out three, walking three and giving up three hits.

Pirates relievers have held the Cubs scoreless over 10 1/3 innings in the first two games of this four-game series. Chicago's Nick Madrigal grounded to second with the tying run at first to give Chris Stratton his second save in as many nights. Chase De Jong (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Smyly pitched five innings, had four strikeouts, and gave up six hits, four runs and one walk.

Pittsburgh Pirates' Roberto Perez watches his home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly in the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

Seiya Suzuki snapped an 0-for-10 rut with a single to start the eighth, but reliever David Bednar struck out the next three batters.

A first-inning rally ended when Willson Contreras grounded into the Cubs’ major league-leading 17th double play.

Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a single in the first and is now 7-for-13 in four games against the Cubs and is batting .362 (17-for-47) lifetime against them.

Chicago Cubs' Michael Hermosillo watches his two-run double off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. Cubs' Patrick Wisdom and Yan Gomes scored on the play. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

TRAINER’S ROOM

PIRATES: OF Anthony Alford (right wrist sprain) was reinstated from the 10-day IL. INF/OF Hoy Park was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

CUBS: OF Clint Frazier was placed on the 10-day injured list due to an appendicitis. OF Alfonso Rivas was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. … RHP Alec Mills (lower back strain) will make a rehab start Saturday at Iowa. … LHP Wade Miley (elbow soreness) threw a bullpen session Friday.

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki grounds into in force out the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

UP NEXT

Pirates RHP Zach Thompson (0-1, 9.00) will face the Cubs on Saturday. Thompson allowed six runs in four innings Monday night in a 6-1 loss to the Brewers.

Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 6.08) will take the mound against the Pirates. Hendricks allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings Monday in a 4-2 win over the Rays.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP PhotoCharles Rex Arbogast)