Alford homers twice, but Cubs top Pirates, 6-5
CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer missed the team's 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday after they tested positive for COVID-19.
Michael Hermosillo homered and drove in three runs, leading Chicago to its fourth consecutive win. Frank Schwindel also connected, and Ian Happ had three more hits on a wet afternoon at Wrigley Field.
A spokesman for the team said Ross and Hoyer are feeling fine and quarantining. Both are vaccinated.
Bench coach Andy Green is running the team while Ross is away. But Green was ejected by umpire Tom Hallion in the sixth inning after it looked as if he was upset with Kevin Newman's slide into second on a potential double play.
Anthony Alford hit two long home runs for last-place Pittsburgh, which dropped its fourth straight game. Hoy Park also went deep.
The Pirates trailed 5-0 after four innings, but Alford capped a three-run sixth with a tying two-run homer — a massive drive to a green roof in center that chased Alec Mills. Alford has four homers on the year and seven for his career after his first multihomer game.
Schwindel got the lead back for the Cubs with a one-out drive in the bottom half on a 3-0 pitch from Shelby Miller (0-1). Schwindel also singled in Hermosillo in the second.
Trevor Megill (1-0), Codi Heuer and Rowan Wick combined for 3 1/3 hitless innings after Mills departed. Megill got four outs for his first major league win, and Rowan Wick struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
Hermosillo helped Chicago get off to a fast start with a two-run single with two outs in the second. He led off the fourth with his third homer, a drive to left-center against Steven Brault.
Happ singled in the third, doubled in the fifth and singled again in the seventh. The switch hitter is batting .342 (25 for 73) in his last 20 games, raising his average to .208 after a rough start to the season.
Kyle Hendricks (14-6, 4.43 ERA) pitches Saturday for the Cubs. Hendricks was hit hard in his last start, allowing eight runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 13-1 loss to the White Sox. The Pirates did not announce a starter before the game.
