Swanson sparks 6-run 6th, Cubs upset Pirates 10-6

Dansby Swanson started Chicago’s six-run sixth inning with a hit, then capped the rally with an RBI single as the Cubs overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-6 on Wednesday night.

Swanson finished with three hits and two RBIs to help Chicago knock off Pittsburgh, still in first in the weak NL Central, for the second straight night. The Cubs had 13 hits — 12 singles — to reach double-digits in hits and runs again.

The Cubs also were patient at the plate, leveraging seven walks to make the base paths busy late in the game,

“I thought Dansby had one of the better games I’ve seen him have,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “I thought it was everybody contributing a little bit there, but a lot of traffic on the bases.”

Mike Tauchman had three hits, two RBIs and made a running catch against the ivy on Carlos Santana’s sac fly in the seventh. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki each drove in two runs in the Cubs’ fourth win in five games.

The Pirates were cruising with a 5-1 lead before the Cubs sent 11 men to the plate in the sixth. Roansy Contreras (3-6) the first of five Pirates relievers, yielded five runs on three hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings to fuel the rally as he struggled with his command.

Chicago starter Drew Smyly (6-4) ended a three-game losing streak despite allowing five runs on nine hits in six innings. Three relievers closed it out, with Adbert Alzolay throwing a scoreless ninth.






Chicago Cubs' Nick Madrigal, left, and Mike Tauchman celebrate after they scored on Ian Happ's two-run single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning a baseball game Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)