Pirates Defeat Cubs 12-1, Extend Chicago Losing Streak to 10 Games

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Chicago Cubs 12-1 on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. The result extended the Cubs' losing streak to 10 games. Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run home run to cap a five-run first inning. The rookie became the seventh player in Pirates history to hit two home runs within the first four games of his major league career.

Cubs after being recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. He allowed eight runs in 4⅓ innings. Braxton Ashcraft pitched 6⅓ innings for the Pirates, allowing one run and seven hits while striking out five.

The Cubs became only the second team in major league history to record two 10-game winning streaks and one 10-game losing streak in the same season, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Their current streak is the longest since 2022. The Pirates won their third consecutive game. Spencer Horwitz also homered, and Oneil Cruz recorded three hits.