A Tough Start
Ah, my fellow Pirates fans, what a game we witnessed today! The first inning opened up for us with Oneil Cruz striking out swinging. After Andrew McCutchen managed a hopeful single to left, Bryan Reynolds flied out, and Spencer Horwitz struck out swinging. No early momentum for us, but the game was just getting started!
Middle Innings Challenge
Into the 4th inning, tensions began to rise. Unfortunately, Kyle Tucker of the Cubs singled, followed by a two-run homer from Pete Crow-Armstrong that gave them a 2-0 lead. Ouch.
But let's talk bright spots - Adam Frazier's single in the 7th that scored Horwitz was a delightful sight, bringing us to 3-1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jared Triolo teamed up with a single and a walk, respectively, which allowed us to inch closer.A Valient Attempt
In the bottom of the 7th inning, we showed some resolve! After a few strategic at-bats, Triolo walked, allowing Frazier to score and bring us to within a run, 3-2.
It felt like a sweep could be on the horizon. However, as Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki homered in the 6th to take them to a 3-0 lead, the hill felt slightly steeper to climb. Come top of the 9th, we grounded out three times, ending our hopes for a comeback. Close but no cigar, but proud of the effort! 
Our boys played with heart, and you can feel it’s just a matter of time before everything clicks. Keep the faith, fellow Bucs fans—it’s only up from here! Let's go, Pirates!
Scoreboard for Pirates @ Cubs (June 13th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |