Cubs get run in eighth to knock off Pirates
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CHICAGO -- Nico Hoerner hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2, on Monday night for their fifth straight win.
Hoerner finished with two hits and two RBIs. Rafael Ortega homered for Chicago, and Adrian Sampson pitched seven innings of two-run ball.
Seiya Suzuki set up Hoerner's clutch hit when he reached on rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz's throwing error. Suzuki advanced on Ian Happ's groundout and then hustled home on Hoerner's drive into the gap in right-center.
Mychal Givens (6-2) worked the eighth for the win, and Scott Effross got three outs for his first save in three chances.
Josh VanMeter hit a tying RBI double for the Pirates in the fifth. Cruz singled home a run, and Yerry De Los Santos (0-2) got the loss.
Pittsburgh has dropped two straight and seven of nine overall.
Ortega's fifth homer -- a two-out drive to right against JT Brubaker in the third -- gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. Ortega also singled in the first, stopping an 0-for-29 slump.
Brubaker allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked two in six innings.
Draft picks inked
The Pirates signed several players from the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. The announcement was made by Joe DelliCarri, Pirates Senior Director of Amateur Scouting.
Players signed were outfielder Tres Gonzalez, their fifth pick; sixth-rounder Derek Diamond, a pitcher; pitcher JP Massey, a seventh-round pick; ninth-rounder Mike Walsh, a pitcher; Dominic Perachi, an 11th-round pitcher; and 20th rounder Josh Loeschorn, a pitcher.
Gonzalez batted .339 with five home runs and 57 RBIs in 60 games in 2022 with Georgia Tech while striking out 27 times in 230 at-bats. He was ranked No. 138 on the Top 250 draft prospects .