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Cubs down Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Adrian Sampson wasn’t supposed to be a fixture in the Chicago Cubs’ starting rotation this season. He was placed on waivers twice in May — once by Chicago and once by Seattle — and optioned to the minors three times.

Yet Sampson kept believing in his stuff. And may be making a believer out of the Cubs in the process. The 30-year-old tossed six efficient innings in an 8-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday, the latest in a string of solid starts that’s provided some much-needed stability to Chicago’s injury-riddled rotation.

Sampson (3-5) is 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA in five starts this month for the Cubs, who finished 5-2 on a seven-game road trip through Miami and Pittsburgh.

“It’s just the culmination of a whole year of putting the pitches together,” Sampson said after allowing four hits and striking out three without a walk. “Now I just kind of go out there every five, six days and I’m able to have confidence in every single one and throw them for strikes.”

Sampson took advantage of a young Pittsburgh lineup featuring five rookies and eight players 25 or younger. Mixing speeds and changing locations, he worked quickly and needed just 67 pitches to record 18 outs.

Not bad for a player who has spent a portion of this season bouncing around. Given the way he’s performing, there may be a chance 2023 may be far more stable for Sampson, and maybe the Cubs.

Chicago is 32-29 since the All-Star break thanks in part to a patched-together rotation that has posted a 3.15 ERA over that span.

Hard-throwing rookie Luis Ortiz (0-1) took the loss in his third big-league start despite allowing just four runners in 4ª innings. The 23-year-old, whose fastball regularly flirts with 100 mph, was removed after reaching his pitch-count max (80) while walking Zach McKinstry with two outs in the fourth.

Ortiz, who spent the majority of the season at Double-A Altoona, is making a compelling case he is ready to bid for spot in the starting rotation next spring. Ortiz was electric at times against Chicago, striking out seven against one hit and two walks. He narrowly missed out on an immaculate inning in the second when he struck out the side on 10 pitches, all 10 of them strikes.

On Saturday, Johan Oviedo tied his career high with seven strikeouts in seven innings, and the Pirates beat the Cubs 6-0 to snap an eight-game losing streak. Oviedo (4-2) retired the final 16 batters he faced, allowing just three hits on 82 pitches without issuing a walk.

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