Title: Pirates Crush Cubs with Seven-Run 4th Inning, Resulting in Overwhelming Loss
Date: [Insert Date]
The Chicago Cubs had a promising start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but things quickly spiraled out of control for pitcher Justin Steele, leading to a devastating loss. The Cubs were up by a run and Steele was cruising through three innings. However, the Pirates unleashed an onslaught in the fourth inning with six consecutive singles, driving Steele out of the game. Jose Cuas took over, but his pitching yielded a three-run homer, allowing the Pirates to put up an impressive seven-spot on the scoreboard.
Steele’s performance was not necessarily abysmal, but he lost his ability to miss bats, leading to prolonged and grinding at-bats for the Pirates. With the pitcher reaching 32 pitches without recording an out in the inning, the decision was made to pull him from the game.
The Cubs’ offense attempted to make a comeback, sparked by a home run from Christopher Morel and a grand slam from Ian Happ in the following inning. Nevertheless, the Pirates swiftly responded in the next frame, capitalizing on a missed third strike call to Mark Leiter Jr., who has struggled recently.
Throughout the game, the Cubs had several opportunities to tighten the score, but their failure to get runners home persisted. Additionally, Daniel Palencia encountered difficulties in his second inning of work, ultimately putting the game out of reach for the Cubs.
While the game initially provided excitement for roughly 30 minutes in two segments, the overall experience turned out to be disheartening for Cubs fans. The Pirates’ dominant seven-run fourth inning and the Cubs’ inability to fully capitalize on scoring opportunities contributed to their overwhelming loss.
Despite the disappointing outcome, the Cubs will look to regroup and make adjustments as they continue their season. The full box score from the game can be found below.
[Insert Full Box Score]
[Insert Additional Relevant Information or Quotes]