McCutchen helps Pirates to a rare win over Cubs, Arrieta

After singling against Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta in his first Major League at bat Friday, the 23-year-old rookie stepped to the plate for his second appearance, with the bases loaded and one out, a day later. Bell blasted a grand slam to right field that cleared the stadium and almost landed in the Allegheny River.

“We need a break”, Maddon said after the Cubs rallied from two deficits to seize a 6-5 win over the Pirates.

“It’s just part of baseball”.

In Denver, Tyler Anderson homered and earned his first big league win. “I can’t ask for much more”.

Hurdle said the Pirates will use Bell as a bat off the bench during the weekend series before re-evaluating the lineup after the All-Star Break. That decision has paid dividends.

“I don’t see him moving in front of Jaso with the job he’s done”, Hurdle said. “It seems like right now every time we make a mistake it’s hit hard. I think he knows more than me”. I told him I had goosebumps and chills ran down my spine.

Phillies 5, Rockies 3: Tommy Joseph hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the seventh inning to help Philadelphia beat Colorado in Denver.

“I was trying to save energy because the game was tied in case I was going to have to go out again”, Chapman said through a translator. “What we went through now is going to be beneficial to us in the second half”.

Chicago has lost nine of 10 contests and 15 of the last 20 – a stretch that began after the team moved to 47-20 with a three-game sweep of the Pirates from June 17-19.

The Bucs fell 6-5 after a poor outing by Jon Niese Sunday, allowing the Cubs to escape Pittsburgh with a win before the end of the first half. Baez could have immediately thrown to second for a double play, but he hesitated, running toward Bell on the basepath between second and third. The National League pitcher of the month for June, Lester has allowed 13 runs in 4⅓ innings in July, including five in three innings Saturday.

Anthony Rizzo led off the Cubs’ third with a triple to left-center field before Zobrist grounded to first base. Willson Contreras then brought home Bryant on a groundout. Lester has allowed 13 runs on 13 hits (including five home runs) in his last two starts, which has inflated his ERA from 2.03 to 3.01. Lackey followed this up with his first 1-2-3 inning of the day, and while it wasn’t a quality start (the Cubs have had none of those in July), it was one that lasted into the seventh inning.

Chris Carter gave Milwaukee an early lead with a towering home run leading off the second off St. Louis starter Michael Wacha, who left in the seventh inning after being struck on the lower right leg by a low liner by Villar. “I was able to get a good pitch to drive and (Bryant) did the rest”. “No, we all go through times where, just like hitters, you go through slumps. It’s four days you never get”, he said.

This team has the talent to do it, and the break will be helpful to get injured players back, and give everyone else the time off to clear their heads and start up again Friday, this losing skein behind them.

Boston’s Japanese reliever Koji Uehara gained his fourth save for the season, working the ninth inning as the Red Sox won 4-1 at home to Tampa Bay.

Bell slugged a fifth-inning Warren pitch over the seats perched above the 21-foot wall in right for his second pinch-hit in two games since being recalled from Triple-A on Friday.

Markakis hit his third homer in two nights to boost his season total to five.