Cubs run circles around Pirates in 18-8 rout, achieve over 100-year first
PITTSBURGH — As Cubs baserunner Seiya Suzuki took off for second base, the pitch got away from Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal. So Suzuki notched the Cubs’ eighth stolen base of the game without even having to contend with a throw.
In a game the Cubs would go on to win 18-8, they literally ran circles around the Pirates. And their offensive explosion set a season high for runs, surpassing their previous high of 14 on Saturday against the Marlins.
‘‘We did a really nice job, especially at second base, just taking advantage of a little something that we saw,’’ manager Craig Counsell said. ‘‘It obviously put pressure on [the Pirates’ defense].’’
The Cubs’ eight stolen bases were their most in a game since 1911, according to team historian Ed Hartig. They also became the first team with at least 18 runs and eight stolen bases in a game since the Giants accomplished the feat in 1912, according to Stats Perform.
It was also a victory the Cubs needed in their quest to keep pace in the National League wild-card race. Though they bobbed back up to .500, their 66-66 record still leaves them 5 1/2 games behind the Braves in the battle for the last spot.
After digging a hole earlier in the season, all the Cubs can do now is chip away. And their victory was another good start to a series against a team they should beat. The Pirates are 7-16 in August.
Failing to sweep the Marlins, whose victory Sunday against the Cubs was only their 47th of the season, was a missed opportunity. But the Cubs don’t seem to be dwelling on that disappointment.
‘‘If you win every series, that’s a pretty good record the rest of the year,’’ Counsell said before the game.
If the Cubs were to win every series for the rest of the season — nine three-game series and one four-gamer against the Nationals — they would finish with at least an 86-76 record.
Their relatively soft remaining schedule, however, features road series against the Dodgers and Phillies and a home series against the Yankees in September. So to get to 86 victories, they likely will have to sweep at least one of their remaining series and probably more than that.
‘‘You don’t get to pick how you do it,’’ Counsell said.
Keeping their momentum through this series will be important, but the Cubs rode in-game momentum to their rout Monday.
Though right-hander Jameson Taillon allowed four runs in 6⅔ innings, it was the Cubs’ offense that took center stage.
‘‘It allows me to go out there, if I’m in a count like 2-1 or 3-1, [and] just not be afraid to challenge a guy over the heart of the plate, make him hit it and earn it,’’ Taillon said of the offensive support. ‘‘So it’s a pretty freeing feeling out there.’’
The Cubs batted around in two innings. Dansby Swanson led off their eight-run sixth with a walk, then came back around to launch a grand slam that put them ahead 11-2.
‘‘It just goes to show the depth of the lineup and the ability for guys to put professional at-bats together, no matter what the score is, no matter what the situations are,’’ Swanson said. ‘‘It’s pretty impressive.’’
They added a six-run rally in the ninth. By the end, the Pirates had first baseman Rowdy Tellez on the mound, throwing 45 mph, to get the last two outs. He hit two batters, issued a walk and gave up a hit before escaping.
Suzuki and Miguel Amaya each had four of the Cubs’ 21 hits, and Pete Crow-Armstrong had three of their eight steals.
‘‘I definitely enjoy making my presence felt out there,’’ Crow-Armstrong said. ‘‘That’s part of the battle with taking the next base.
‘‘It’s fun. It’s fun when you know you’re on their mind because the job’s making the next guy’s life a bit easier, and that’s what that does. And that’s the best part about that.’’