Pirates send skidding Cubs to 10th straight defeat, 12-1

Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run home run to cap a five-run first inning on Tuesday night and the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the skidding Cubs 12-1 to extend Chicago’s losing streak to 10 games.

The rookie became the seventh player in Pirates’ history to hit two home runs within the first four games of his major league career.

The Cubs are just the second team in major league history to have two 10-game winning streaks and one 10-game losing streak in the same season, joining the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers. It is also the Cubs’ longest losing streak since 2022.

Braxton Ashcraft (4-3) allowed one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out five and walking one. He is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts in May.

Konnor Griffin, a 20-year-old rookie shortstop, became the youngest leadoff hitter for the Pirates since 1952. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

The Cubs’ Alex Bregman and Carson Kelly had two hits each. Chicago went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners.

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-4, 5.20 ERA) faces rookie RHP Bubba Chandler (1-6, 4.60) on Wednesday night in the third game of the four-game series.


(AP Photo Gene J. Puskar)