J.A. Happ, the stopgap sub for injured pitcher A.J. Burnett, saw his Pirates debut spoiled by another J.A. — Jake Arrieta. The Chicago Cubs starter tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, and the Cubs cruised to a 5-0 win Tuesday night at PNC Park.
The Pirates (61-44) were out-hit 14-4 and didn’t put a runner in scoring position until the seventh inning. Their lead over the Cubs (58-47) in the wildcard race was trimmed to three games. The first-place St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Cincinnati Reds, so the Pirates remain five games back of the division lead.