After the tenth run crossed the plate for the Pittsburgh Pirates, nobody would have blamed you for turning the game off and calling it a day. Heck, Olivia Dunne probably thought it was over, too. Her boyfriend, sensational rookie phenom Paul Skenes, just pitched five innings with six strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs and was in line for his ninth win of the year.
After the sixth inning, the Pirates had a 99% chance of winning the game. But no one told the Cubs the game was over.
Two runs in the seventh brought the deficit down to five. Three more in the eighth inning brought the Pirates’ lead down to two. In the ninth inning, it was all Cubs. Six runs crossed the plate. The Cubs stunned the Pirates and swept right through Pittsburgh.
Pete Crow-Armstrong registered the first four-hit game of his career. Christian Bethancourt pushed seven runs across the plate, including the go-ahead run in the ninth. 16 hits led to 14 runs and a series sweep heading to Washington.
The Cubs will have another happy flight this evening. But not everyone is happy, of course. Olivia Dunne is learning quickly what it’s like to be a Pirates fan.
Paul Skenes left the game in the fifth with a seven-run cushion, all but guaranteeing himself his ninth win of his rookie campaign. Olivia Dunne, his gymnast girlfriend, and many others expected that result, too. However, they’re new to the Pirates experience. No lead is safe, especially when the Cubs are in town. Plus, Dunne has no power against Taylor Swift.
The Pirates’ bullpen allowed 30 runs to cross the plate over the course of three games against the Cubs. This is the hottest we’ve seen the Cubs all season offensively. Could things be clicking? Is this getting hot at the right time?
The Cubs are now two games over .500 and continue to build momentum. They’ll have to continue stacking wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Atlanta Braves still hold the final Wild Card spot, with the New York Mets on their heels. Both teams are also playing great baseball and show no signs of letting up.
Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne may be unable to handle the pain and dismay of being involved with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s only a matter of time until Skenes is inevitably traded and can start his competitive career. But that’s not the point. The point is the Cubs just registered their best win of the year and continue to get hot at the right time.
