Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| PIT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 12 | 15 | 3 |
The Story
The Pittsburgh Pirates routed the Chicago Cubs 12-1 at PNC Park on May 26, 2026, in a game that was effectively decided in the opening frame. The DiamondIQ model entered with Pittsburgh holding a 54% win probability, but that figure climbed steadily and finished at 100% as the Pirates posted five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Pittsburgh added three more in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh, and two in the eighth to finish with 15 hits against a Cubs club that managed just eight and committed an error in a thoroughly lopsided afternoon.
The biggest single swing of the game came in the bottom of the first, when Spencer Horwitz's groundout shifted win probability 8.8 points in Pittsburgh's favor, a reflection of just how damaging that five-run burst was with runners in motion against Jordan Wicks. Chicago briefly pushed back in the top of the second, but Moisés Ballesteros grounded out in a situation that cost the Cubs 8.7 points of win probability off Braxton Ashcraft. Brandon Lowe's strikeout in the bottom of the second then added another 7.6 points Pittsburgh's way, compounding the damage. A Michael Busch single in the fourth offered Chicago a modest 3.2-point uptick, but Ian Happ grounded into a double play in the same frame, erasing 5.7 points of Cubs win probability and closing off any realistic path to a comeback.
Braxton Ashcraft was the standout performer of the afternoon by the DiamondIQ model's accounting, finishing with a WPA of plus-18.4%, the most impactful individual contribution in the game. Among position players, Horwitz led all batters with a plus-10.0% WPA and a RE24 of plus-0.9, while Lowe posted plus-9.4% WPA and plus-0.6 RE24. Bryan Reynolds contributed the highest RE24 among Pittsburgh hitters at plus-2.6 to go with a plus-4.2% WPA, reflecting his run-creation efficiency across a dominant Pirates lineup performance.