Nico Hoerner’s double sends streaking Cubs past Pirates 3-2

CHICAGO (AP) — 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 season-high 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.

"He wants that moment probably more than anyone I've been around," Cubs manager David Ross said of Hoerner. "Nice base hit for him there."

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 twoout drive to right against JT Brubaker in the third — gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. Ortega also singled in the first, stopping an 0for-29 slump.

"It's been fun to watch," Sampson said. "We're playing good baseball right now."

Brubaker allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked two in six innings.

PHILLIES 6, BRAVES 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryson Stott homered, doubled and drove in five runs to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-4 comeback victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

Alec Bohm doubled and had three hits for the Phillies, who rebounded from a three-game sweep at home against the lowly Chicago Cubs last weekend.

"It's huge after losing three to the Cubs being able to come back today and pull that one out," Stott said. "Hopefully that'll give us the momentum to keep going."

Austin Riley had a pair of doubles and Marcell Ozuna had three hits and an RBI for the Braves, who fell two games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East. Atlanta has lost two in a row for the first time since June 17-18.

"We'll put this behind us and come out and win a game tomorrow," manager Brian Snitker said.

With the Braves leading by one, A.J. Minter (4-3) got the first two outs in the eighth inning before Bohm and Yairo Muñoz singled to put runners on first and second.