Busch ends 0-for-30 slide with tying single, Cubs overcome 5-run deficit to beat Pirates 7-6

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch ended an 0-for-30 slide with a tying, two-run single in the eighth inning and Carson Kelly had a winning single in the ninth as the Chicago Cubs overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Sunday.

Brandon Lowe hit a grand slam and a solo homer off Jameson Taillon, and Oneil Cruz homered leading off the game for Pittsburgh, which led 5-0 before third-inning solo homers by Dansby Swanson and Moisés Ballesteros against Bubba Chandler.

Lowe's fifth-inning homer boosted Pittsburgh's lead to 6-2 but Chicago closed on Alex Bregman's sacrifice fly in the bottom half. Swanson scored from third in the seventh on an infield fly by Bregman as Lowe, the second baseman, fell while catching the ball in short right field.

Busch, benched from the starting lineup, pinch hit for Matt Shaw with two outs in the eighth after a pair of walks by Justin Lawrence and looped an opposite-field single into short left that tied the score 6-6.

Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto doubled off Jose Urquidy (0-1) leading off the ninth and, with the bases loaded and one out, Kelly hit a 381-foot drive that landed on the right-center warning track.

Daniel Palencia (1-0) pitched around a walk in the ninth.

Chicago had been 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position before Busch's single after going 1 of 23 in the previous two losses to Pittsburgh.

Taillon struck out 10, allowing six runs, six hits and two walks in six innings.

Lowe had his second multi-homer game this season.

Chicago placed reliever Hunter Henry on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with right triceps inflammation, and he became the eighth Cubs pitcher on the IL. Chicago selected the contract of left-hander Charlie Barnes from Triple-A Iowa. He has not appeared in a major league game since 2021.

Pirates: RHP Paul Skenes (2-1, 5.25) will be on the mound Monday at Pittsburgh, opposed by Washington RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 2.51).

Cubs: RHP Javier Assad (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts Monday at Philadelphia, which starts Cristopher Sánchez (1-1, 1.65).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Chicago Cubs' Moisés Ballesteros hits a single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Chicago, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler, left, celebrates with a teammate in the dugout after first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz walks to batting during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, in Chicago, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman catches a fly ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds in foul territory during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson, left, scores past Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart during the seventh inning of a baseball game, in Chicago, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

MADRID (AP) — Vedat Muriqi moved closer to Kylian Mbappé at the top of La Liga's scoring charts this season with a brace on Sunday as relegation-threatened Mallorca beat Rayo Vallecano 3-0.

The Kosovo striker scored four minutes apart near the end of the first half for his 20th and 21st goals of the season in the league, and within two of Mbappé's 23 goals. The Real Madrid forward was held scoreless in the team's 1-1 draw against Girona on Friday and hasn't scored in the competition since February.

Muriqi has scored three goals in his last two matches with Mallorca. He also scored in the team's 2-1 win over Madrid last weekend.

“I'm very proud,” the 31-year-old Muriqi said. “We’ve done a very good job and now we’re out of the relegation zone.”

Jan Virgili was the other scorer Sunday for Mallorca, which has won three of its last four matches to move to 15th place, two points from the drop zone.

Rayo, which has one win in five matches, stayed a point ahead in 13th place.

Oviedo won 3-0 at sixth-placed Celta Vigo to leave last place with its third win in four matches.

Federico Viñas scored twice for the visitors, which hadn't won on the road since September at Valencia.

Alberto Reina also scored for Oviedo, which was promoted this season after a 24-year absence from the top tier.

Last-but-one Oviedo is six points from safety.

Villarreal strengthened its hold on third place with a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao. Sergi Cardona and Alfon scored first-half goals for the visitors.

Gorka Guruzeta scored late for midtable Athletic. The Basque Country club has only one win in its last seven matches across all competitions.

The result left Villarreal with 61 points, four more than fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Sevilla on Saturday.

Fifth-placed Real Betis was held 1-1 at midtable Osasuna.

Abde Ezzalzouli put Betis ahead in the seventh minute and Ante Budimir equalized for the hosts by converting a 40th-minute penalty. Betis hasn't won in seven league matches, while Osasuna has one victory in six games.

On Saturday, Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-1 at home to increase its lead over second-placed Real Madrid to nine points after 31 rounds.

The referees and some teams wore throwback shirts as part of a “La Liga Retro” promotion this round.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe looks on during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona in Madrid, Spain, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)