PIRATES

Most wins at the major-league level won't come easy. With pitchers and hitters as good as they are nowadays, teams are constantly finding themselves grinding for desirable results. 

The Pirates' 2-0 win over the Cubs this afternoon here at Wrigley Field wasn't an easy one for them to secure. Shota Imanaga, who entered today with one run allowed and 23 strikeouts over 26 career innings against the Pirates, was once again his dominant self, holding his familiar foes hitless over six innings. The bats couldn't get anything going with him on the mound. So, they had to scratch and claw for a desirable result. 

“There was no panic in the dugout," said Bryan Reynolds, who is 1 for 14 with four strikeouts in his career against Imanaga. "That’s just kinda how the games go sometimes. Sometimes the starter’s got your number and when he comes out, whether you say it or not, you probably get a little bit of confidence.” 

Reynolds didn't have the at-bats he wanted against Imanaga, but that didn't impact his at-bat against Caleb Thielbar in the seventh inning. It was a fresh start for him and his teammates. Ryan O'Hearn broke up the combined no-hit bid with a single off Thielbar and Reynolds followed with one swing that pushed the momentum in the visitors' favor. 

“When somebody is just kinda cutting through your lineup, it’s nice to get him out," said Reynolds, who now has three homers on the season. "It’s almost like you’ve got a second wind when you’ve got somebody else in the game.” 

The early at-bats lacked the real results, but there were also a lot of prolonged ones that caused Imanaga's pitch count to rise. Oneil Cruz, for example, dragged out a nine-pitch at-bat in the second inning that turned into a walk. He didn't end up scoring, but it ultimately had an effect on the outcome. The Pirates grinded through, finally got Imanaga out and cashed in when they needed to in order to move to 8-5 and get a win in a ballpark they went 2-5 in last year.