PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - The Pittsburgh Pirates came into this final homestand of the 2019 season on a 9-game losing streak, but they complete the three game sweep over the Chicago Cubs with a 9-5 victory Thursday night.
Over the final month of the season, the Pirates have been battling injuries, especially with the top players in their lineup, but against the Cubs they played a solid series all around to come away with the sweep and build momentum heading into the final series of the season and the off-season.
Three more runs would be added to the Pirates lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI double by Osuna that scored Kevin Newman and Adam Frazier and an RBI single by Jacob Stallings that scored Reyes to give Pittsburgh a 5-0 lead after three innings.
It didn't stop there for the Pirates offense agianst Quintana as they would add two more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Osuna scored on a throwing error by Cubs Shortstop Addison Russell and Reyes would score on an RBI single by Jake Elmore.
Pirates Starting Pitcher Joe Musgrove cruised through five innings Thursday night until he faced some turbulance from the Cubs in the sixth inning as they scored three runs to cut the Pirates lead to 7-3.
However, Musgrove was able to limit the damage and got out of the innig only allowing those three runs in his final start of the 2019 season to finish the year on a strong note heading into the off-season.
"I look at the whole year, I think the thing that I'm most proud of is my ability to stay on the field and be healthy," said Musgrove. "I've always felt like my productions good when I'm able to be healthy and getting myself out every fifth day. That was one of my big goals coming into the year was putting in the work in the off-season, especially coming off of a surgery, to be able to prepare myself for 32 starts and 160+ innings and I reached that goal this year which I'm super proud of."
Musgrove's final line of the night was six innings giving up three hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and struck out eight on 91 pitches (62 strikes).
The Pirates would get two of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Frazier that scored Corban Joseph and Cabrera would bring home Frazier with an RBI double to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 9-3.
In the top of the seventh, the Cubs would cut into the deficit again with an RBI double by Tony Kemp and RBI single by Nico Hoerner to cut into the Pirates lead and trailed 9-5.
Musgrove has grown into one of the leaders' in that clubhouse and was honest when giving his assessment of the season when talking to reporters after the game Thursday night. It has been a rough second half the season and he understands that it has been frustrating for the fans, but they have different and greater expectations as they look ahead to 2020.
In game one of the series at PNC Park, Steven Brault (4-6, 5.07 ERA) will take the mound for Pittsburgh against Anthony DeSclafani (9-9, 3.84 ERA) and Cincinnati at 7:05 pm Friday night.