Late bullpen collapse costs Pirates shot at rare Cubs sweep at Wrigley Field

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 12, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CHICAGO — The Pittsburgh Pirates led by five runs early and had an opportunity to secure their first sweep at Wrigley Field since 2017. Instead, a late bullpen collapse and Carson Kelly’s walk-off single off Jose Urquidy earned the Chicago Cubs a 7-6 comeback win on Sunday afternoon.

The Pirates led 5-0 after two innings and 6-3 when Bubba Chandler left, but Hunter Barco, Justin Lawrence and Urquidy all allowed runs in the final three innings. The key play, against Lawrence in the eighth, was Bryan Reynolds’ throwing error that allowed the tying run to score.

Manager Don Kelly turned to Urquidy for the ninth, only for Urquidy to load the bases before Kelly’s game-winner.

Brandon Lowe had his second two-homer game of the season, finishing this one 2 for 3 with a grand slam and a walk in a five-RBI day. Oneil Cruz led off the game with a homer, his fifth career leadoff blast.

Weather was a factor throughout, as 35 mph wind blowing out to center field turned Chicago into Coors Field. Wind pushed Cruz’s homer 65 feet, per MLB’s Sarah Langs, the most for a homer in at least four seasons. Lowe’s slam was pushed 38 feet, per Langs, to end in the second row. (Lowe’s second, which traveled 444 feet, needed no assistance.)

It looked like the Pirates would knock Cubs starter and former Pirate Jameson Taillon out early, racking up five runs on four hits in the first two innings, until Taillon retired eight batters in a row before Lowe’s second homer. He ended up completing six innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts.

Chandler called his previous start “pathetic” and vowed to throw more pitches in the zone, then did that Sunday. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four. He threw 91 pitches, 64 strikes.

He allowed solo homers to Dansby Swanson and Moises Ballesteros in the third inning, just the second and third homers Pirates starters have allowed this year. He may have even thrown too many strikes — in the fifth inning, he threw 21 of 25 pitches for strikes, but allowed two 0-2 singles.

The bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Barco loaded the bases in the seventh on two walks and a double, then a wind-aided infield fly that Lowe had to dive to catch, brought in a run.

Lawrence allowed two runs in the eighth. He walked two batters before Michael Busch’s pinch-hit RBI single. Reynolds threw the ball away simply trying to throw it in, allowing the tying run to score.

It was over when …

… Cruz reached third in the top of the ninth, but Lowe was called out on a 3-2 check swing call from third base umpire Brandon MacKay. The Pirates turned to Urquidy, who was unable to keep the Cubs off the board.

On the mound

Chandler’s 91 pitches were the most by a Pirates pitcher this year and the first time a Pirate has thrown more than 88.

But the taxed Pirates’ bullpen needed more length after using four relievers on back-to-back days to win Saturday’s 11-inning game.

At the plate

Cruz now has an 11-game hitting streak, tied for his career-high.

Most valuable player

Swanson scored three runs for the Cubs. He went 1 for 2 with a homer and two walks.

Up next

The Pirates return to Pittsburgh for a seven-game homestand, starting at 6:40 p.m. ET Monday with the first of four games against the Washington Nationals. Paul Skenes (2-1, 5.25 ERA) will start for the Pirates against Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-0, 2.51).

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