Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrates with teammates Marcell Ozuna (24) and Ryan O' Hearn (29) after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

CHICAGO — Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run homer and Carmen Mlodzinski pitched six-hit ball into the sixth inning, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs, 2-0, on Friday.

Pittsburgh was shut down by Shota Imanaga before breaking through against Caleb Thielbar in the seventh. Ryan O’Hearn hit a leadoff single for the Pirates’ first hit of the chilly afternoon, and Reynolds drove Thielbar’s next pitch deep to left for his third homer.

“When somebody is just kinda cutting through your lineup, it’s nice to get him out,” Reynolds said. “It’s almost like you’ve got a second wind when you’ve got somebody else in the game.”

Pittsburgh won for the seventh time in nine games since its 1-3 start.

“This is a good win tonight,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Any win you can get in Chicago against the Cubs at Wrigley is a special one. You can hear the guys. They’re fired up about it.”

Chicago went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. Ian Happ had two of the team’s six hits.

Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki went 1 for 3 with a fourth-inning single in his first game this season. He had been sidelined by a sprained right knee.

Imanaga struck out nine and walked one in six innings. The Japanese left-hander threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes.

“If Imanaga’s rolling like that against us, he’ll end up going seven or eight innings and won’t even get to 100 pitches,” Kelly said. “To get him to 100 pitches in six innings … although we didn’t get the hits, I thought we put up a good fight and had decent at-bats.”

Thielbar (1-1) was lifted after Oneil Cruz’s two-out single in the seventh. The 39-year-old lefty pitched 3ª scoreless innings over his first four appearances this year.

Mason Montgomery (1-0) replaced Mlodzinski with runners on first and second in the sixth. He struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong and walked Carson Kelly before fanning pinch-hitter Matt Shaw for the final out of the inning.

“I think last year was pretty ugly at this time, so (things) probably could only go up, honestly,” Mlodzinski said. “I think I’ve grown as a player. I’ve learned from the mistakes of last year. Doesn’t mean I haven’t made them again this year, honestly, and I haven’t been perfect yet, but I’m definitely in a better spot than last year.”

The Cubs also left the bases loaded in the fourth when Moises Ballesteros lined to Reynolds in left.

Isaac Mattson and Gregory Soto each pitched an inning for the Pirates before Dennis Santana handled the ninth for his first save this season.

“There was no panic in the dugout,” Reynolds said. “That’s just kinda how the games go sometimes. Sometimes the starter’s got your number, and when he comes out, whether you say it or not, you probably get a little bit of confidence.”

Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in his first career road game. The 19-year-old shortstop agreed to a nine-year, $140 million contract on Wednesday.