PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Braxton Ashcraft pitched six-plus strong innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates broke open the game with a five-run first inning en route to a 12-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at PNC Park.

The win moved Pittsburgh to 29-26, tied with the Cubs, who also fell to 29-26. The Pirates have won two straight against Chicago after a 2-1 victory Monday.

Ashcraft allowed one earned run on seven hits over 6 1-3 innings, striking out five and walking none. He improved to 4-2 this season, coming off a seven-inning win at St. Louis on May 21 in which he gave up one run. The right-hander retired the side in order in the third and fourth innings and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.

Jordan Wicks took the loss for Chicago, his first decision of the season after entering with a 0-0 record. The left-hander lasted just 1 2-3 innings, charged with five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three. The Cubs have lost six straight games and nine of their last 10.

Pittsburgh jumped on Wicks immediately in the bottom of the first. Konnor Griffin walked and Brandon Lowe singled to put runners at the corners. Bryan Reynolds doubled to left-center, scoring both runners for a 2-0 lead. After Nick Gonzales lined out, Oneil Cruz singled to left to drive in Reynolds, making it 3-0. Marcell Ozuna flied out, but Esmerlyn Valdez followed with a two-run homer to center, scoring Cruz and stretching the lead to 5-0. Spencer Horwitz grounded out to end the inning.

Chicago scored its only run in the top of the second. Alex Bregman led off with a double to center and Ian Happ doubled sharply to center, driving in Bregman. Seiya Suzuki flied into a double play, with Happ thrown out at third by right fielder Valdez, and Moises Ballesteros grounded out to end the threat.

The Pirates added three runs in the fifth off reliever Ryan Rolison. Lowe singled, Reynolds doubled and Nick Gonzales singled to right, scoring Lowe for a 6-0 lead. Cruz was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and after Ozuna struck out, Valdez walked to force in Reynolds. Horwitz hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Gonzales and making it 8-0.

Chicago had a chance to cut into the lead in the sixth when Michael Busch walked, Bregman flied out and Happ reached on a throwing error by catcher Henry Davis, putting runners at second and third with one out. But Ashcraft struck out Suzuki on a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases. Ballesteros grounded into a fielder’s choice, with Busch thrown out at home, and Carson Kelly grounded into a forceout to end the inning.

Pittsburgh stretched the lead to 9-0 in the sixth on a throwing error by third baseman Bregman that allowed Griffin to score after the shortstop had singled. In the seventh, Horwitz hit a solo homer to right off reliever Daniel Palencia, his sixth of the season, for a 10-0 lead.

The Pirates added two more in the eighth against Cubs reliever Keegan Thompson. Jared Triolo singled, Nick Gonzales doubled and Jake Mangum grounded out to plate Triolo, and Ozuna singled to score Gonzales for a 12-0 advantage.

Ashcraft was pulled after allowing a leadoff single in the seventh. Brandan Bidois pitched 1 2-3 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Dennis Santana finished with a scoreless ninth, striking out one and allowing one hit.

For the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong singled in the seventh and Nico Hoerner singled, but both were stranded. Carson Kelly had two hits, including a single in the ninth. Chicago finished with eight hits and committed three errors.

For Pittsburgh, Cruz was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Horwitz was 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Reynolds went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Valdez drove in three runs with his homer and a walk. The Pirates had 15 hits.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Pittsburgh 4, Chicago 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Cubs with a 54.9 percent probability to win. Pittsburgh was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 13 went under the over-under line of 8.

The teams play again Wednesday at PNC Park in the third game of the four-game series. Chicago then travels to St. Louis for a weekend set, while Pittsburgh hosts Minnesota for three games beginning Friday.