Cubs pummel Pirates for second straight game

Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson each hit two-run homers during a five-run fourth inning and the visiting Chicago Cubs remained hot with a 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

Swanson had three RBIs for Chicago, which won for the eighth time in 11 games and moved a game over .500 for the first time since May 28.

The Cubs have outscored the Pirates 27-13 in the first two games of the three-game series.

Chicago starter Justin Steele (5-5) allowed two runs on six hits over five innings and improved to 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts this month. He walked two and struck out six.

Bryan De La Cruz doubled and homered for Pittsburgh, which has lost three of its past four games. Oneil Cruz had four hits and two RBIs.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored on Cruz's sacrifice fly, and De La Cruz doubled home a run with two outs.

Chicago moved ahead with five runs in the fourth inning against Jared Jones (5-7), who was making his first start since straining a lat muscle on July 3.

Mike Tauchman drew a leadoff walk and Suzuki followed with his 19th homer, sending a 3-1 fastball 349 feet to right field.

With one out and a runner at first, Nico Hoerner's run-scoring double put the Cubs up 3-2 before Swanson homered. The 421-foot blast to center was Swanson's second homer in as many games and 12th this season.

Jones gave up five runs on five hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out four.

The Cubs pulled away with four runs in the fifth inning. Pirates reliever Jalen Beeks exited with two on and one out, and Ben Heller struck out Paredes before hitting Hoerner with a pitch to load the bases.

After Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong drew bases-loaded walks, Miguel Amaya delivered a two-run single to center field. Amaya had two hits and is 14-for-22 (.636) with two home runs and 13 RBIs in his past six games.

De La Cruz hit a leadoff homer in the sixth inning against Nate Pearson. It was his first home run since being acquired by the Pirates from the Miami Marlins on July 30, his 19th of the year overall.

Pittsburgh scored two runs in the ninth inning against Daniel Palencia when Nick Gonzales lined a run-scoring double and Cruz followed with an RBI single.

--Field Level Media