Cubs lose seventh straight, on brink of elimination

PITTSBURGH — The freefalling Chicago Cubs committed five errors, including two in a seven-run seventh inning, and moved to the brink of elimination with a 9-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night that extended their losing streak to seven.

Chicago dropped to 82-75 and would be eliminated with one more loss or Milwaukee win. The Cubs have not missed the playoffs since 2014.

Aided by a fielding error by second baseman Ben Zobrist and errant throw by reliever Danny Hultzen, the Pirates sent 13 batters to the plate in the seventh as they chased starter Kyle Hendricks and erased a 1-0 deficit. Pittsburgh stopped a nine-game losing streak in which it had been outscored 87-26.

Hendricks didn’t allow any hits until the sixth and any runs until the seventh.

The first five batters had hits in the big inning and the sixth reached on Zobrist’s error. Colin Moran’s RBI single tied the score, Kevin Kramer hit a two-run double for a 3-1 lead and two runs scored when Zobrist couldn’t handle Erik Gonzalez’s grounder for an error.

Hultzen threw wide of second base in attempting to get a forceout, and Adam Frazier capped the outburst with a run-scoring double.

Hendricks (11-10) allowed six runs — five earned — and six hits in six-plus innings.

Kyle Schwarber hit two doubles for Chicago and rookie shortstop Nico Hoerner

drove in both runs with a double in the fourth inning and a single in the eighth. Hoerner also made the first two errors of young career.

Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the eighth, his first home run in 123 plate appearances this season.

Francisco Liriano (5-3) pitched a perfect seventh. Pittsburgh rookie Mitch Keller gave up one run and seven hits in five innings.

Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta served a one-game from suspension for what MLB called “inappropriate conduct” during a replay review in Saturday’s game against St. Louis.

Loretta put on the headset that connects the umpiring crew chief to the review center in New York. Only umpires are permitted to use the headsets.

AP/GENE J. PUSKAR Pittsburgh’s Kevin Kramer drives in two runs with a double off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.