The Pirates avoided a sweep by the Chicago Cubs before a large weekday-afternoon crowd at PNC Park Wednesday, beating Chicago 3-2 thanks in part to home runs by Neil Walker and Michael McKenry.
The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo homered off Kevin Correia (who was otherwise effective) in the first, but Walker responded to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. The Cubs then took a 2-1 lead in the third as David DeJesus narrowly missed a home run (a fan interfered with his shot to center, and the call on the field of a ground-rule double was upheld after review) but came home on Rizzo's single. But in the fifth, McKenry blasted a ball that hit the foul pole in left. The Pirates took the lead in the next inning when Garrett Jones doubled to bring home Alex Presley. Jared Hughes, Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan all pitched scoreless innings to end it.
The Pirates are now two games behind the Reds in the N.L. Central. Cincinnati plays the Astros in Houston Wednesday night.
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