CHICAGO (Interstat) — Bubba Chandler pitched into the sixth inning, Brandon Lowe broke a tie with a two-run single and the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 13, 2026, at Wrigley Field.

Chandler allowed three earned runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out three, as Pittsburgh avoided a sweep in the three-game series. Mason Montgomery worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save. Matthew Boyd took the loss for Chicago after giving up four earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three. Chandler improved to 8-9. Boyd fell to 8-5.

Pittsburgh finished with nine hits to Chicago’s five. The Pirates scored once in the first, three times in the sixth and then held on as the Cubs scored in the fifth and sixth. Chicago grounded into two double plays. Chicago had won the first two games of the series, including a 4-3 victory Saturday and a 12-2 rout Friday.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the top of the first. Konnor Griffin singled to center, Oneil Cruz walked and Bryan Reynolds singled to left. Griffin scored on the play, but Cruz was thrown out at third as left fielder Ian Happ relayed to catcher Miguel Amaya and third baseman Alex Bregman. Rafael Flores Jr. struck out and Nick Gonzales flew out to center, ending the inning with Pittsburgh ahead 1-0.

Chandler kept Chicago off the board through the first four innings. He struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch in the first and worked around walks to Bregman and Happ in the second. The Cubs turned that threat into a double play when Michael Conforto grounded into a second-to-short-to-first twin killing. Chicago also grounded into a double play in the fourth after Busch singled, with Bregman hitting into a third-to-second-to-first double play. Amaya singled in the third, but was stranded when Crow-Armstrong flew out and Seiya Suzuki was called out on strikes.

Pittsburgh had chances to add to its lead earlier. In the third, Cruz singled and Reynolds singled, but Flores flew out to right. In the fourth, Jake Mangum singled with two outs before Jared Triolo lined out to second. In the fifth, Henry Davis, Griffin and Cruz were retired in order, with Cruz grounding out after a Pittsburgh challenge at first was upheld.

Chicago broke through in the bottom of the fifth. After Nico Hoerner and Conforto grounded out, Pedro Ramírez walked. Amaya then homered to left field, a two-run shot that put the Cubs ahead 2-1. It was Amaya’s sixth home run of the season. Crow-Armstrong followed with a sharp flyout to center.

The Pirates answered immediately in the top of the sixth. Reynolds walked, Flores singled to left and Gonzales hit a ground-rule double to right that scored Reynolds and moved Flores to third, tying the game 2-2. After Ryan O’Hearn struck out, Mangum walked to load the bases. Lowe, batting as a pinch hitter and later playing second base, lined a sharp single to center that scored Flores and Gonzales, giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. Mangum advanced to second on the play. Henry Davis then flew out to left to end the inning.

The Cubs cut the deficit in the bottom of the sixth. Suzuki flew out sharply to center, but Busch singled to left and Bregman doubled to left to put runners at second and third. Happ walked, loading the bases. Hoerner then grounded out to second, scoring Busch and moving Bregman to third and Happ to second. Carmen Mlodzinski intentionally walked Conforto to load the bases again, but Ramírez flew out to right, ending the inning with Pittsburgh still ahead 4-3.

Mlodzinski, who relieved Chandler, finished with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out one. Luke Weaver followed with a perfect inning. Montgomery then retired the side in order in the ninth, getting Matt Shaw to fly out to right, Ramírez to ground out to the pitcher and Carson Kelly to ground out to second.

The Pirates threatened again in the eighth when Mangum doubled with two outs, but Lowe struck out on a foul tip. In the ninth, Cruz walked after a pitch-result challenge was confirmed, but Reynolds struck out on a foul tip. Chicago’s best late chance came in the seventh when Suzuki walked after a pitch-result challenge was overturned, but Busch struck out. The Cubs went down in order in the eighth and ninth.

Amaya went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs for Chicago. Boyd allowed seven hits and four earned runs over 5 1/3 innings while striking out three. Aaron Civale pitched two scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit and striking out two. Daniel Palencia added a scoreless inning with one strikeout, and Caleb Thielbar pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

For Pittsburgh, Chandler allowed five hits and three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Lowe went 1 for 2 with two RBIs. Gonzales hit a run-scoring ground-rule double. Reynolds walked and scored, and Flores singled and scored in the sixth. Montgomery recorded one perfect inning for the save. Mlodzinski, Weaver and Montgomery combined to keep Chicago off the scoreboard over the final 3 2/3 innings.

Pittsburgh’s pitchers combined for 19 strikes, 60 balls and 19 balls in play, while Chicago’s staff combined for 5 strikes, 46 balls and 5 balls in play. The game took 2 hours, 50 minutes and was played before 39,103 at Wrigley Field. Pittsburgh is now 75-75. Chicago is now 83-67. The Pirates continue their road trip and then return home to face Milwaukee on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The Cubs host Atlanta on Monday, Sept. 14.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Chicago Cubs 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Cubs with a 60.5 percent probability to win. Chicago had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over-under line was 6.5, and the total score was 7.