Game One Hundred Fifty-Three – Cubs 2, Pirates 3
WP – Gerrit Cole (18-8) LP – Jon Lester (10-12) Save – Mark Melancon (51)
The Pirates took a 3-1 lead into the ninth. Chris Denorfia led off with a double. Starlin Castro tripled to right with one out. Denorfia scored and the Cubs had the tying run on third base with one out. The Cubs could not move the baseball. Jorge Soler and Javier Baez struck out swinging and the Cubs dropped the opener to the Pirates on Friday afternoon.