Mitch Keller stepped onto the mound at Wrigley Field today with a two-run lead, a rare occurrence in his starts this season. And like he has done, Keller gave up that lead right away before the Pirates lost to the Cubs, 3-2, in 10 innings. 

Ian Happ drew a leadoff walk, stole second on the next pitch and scored from third after groundouts by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki. Michael Busch then hit a ground-rule double into the seats down the left-field line and crossed home plate on Dansby Swanson's single to right. 

"A leadoff walk never helps. Next pitch stolen base doesn't help. I'm basically starting in an extra inning," Keller said. "It's kind of tough to hold them to a zero there. Then just some base hits through the holes. Just got to get ahead and stay ahead."

Despite not receiving a lot of run support, Keller has given up a lead or allowed an opponent to tie the game eight times over his 15 starts. Against the Astros on June 5, the offense gave him a 1-0 lead in the third before he allowed four runs in the fourth. Keller also carried a 2-1 lead into the sixth against the Padres on May 30 before giving up two runs.  

"It feels like the last three or four games, every time we've scored I've given it right back," Keller said. "Just got to work better at getting a shutdown inning after we score." 

Keller allowed one hit the rest of the game. He retired the final 10 batters he faced. He said his plan was to fill up the zone with his four-seam and two-seam fastballs, which he threw at a 59% rate, against right-handers and mix in his slider and sweeper. He also used his changeup and curveball less than 10%, but got five swings and one miss. 

"Just keeping a full mix there, trying to keep them off balance as possible. It worked," Keller said. 

• Isaac Mattson has thrown 8 2/3 consecutive innings without giving up a hit or an earned run. He's walked two and struck out seven during that span. He threw two innings after entering in the seventh, allowing Don Kelly to preserve Dennis Santana for the ninth and David Bednar for the 10th.

"He just comes in and is right after you, which is exactly what you want," Keller said. "...The fastball is electric. Guys have a really hard time pulling the trigger, especially when he throws it down." 

• Happ, a Mt. Lebanon High School graduate, delivered the game-winning hit for the Cubs by hitting an 0-2 splitter from Bednar into right field. Happ, who has hit for a .316 average against the Pirates in his nine-year career, broke down the at-bat to reporters in the Cubs' clubhouse: 

"He threw two really good pitches to start that at-bat," Happ said. "The first splitter was kind of straight down, the second one cut, and they were two kind of unique pitches. His splitter has the ability to do that, moves in a bunch of different ways, and it's firm. So, looking for something up enough and that one was."

• The Pirates scored seven runs and recorded 19 hits against the Cubs in this four-game series, all of which were one-run games. The pitching staff did its job, giving up eight runs and 24 hits in the team's ninth road-series loss.

"It's frustrating, but it just shows we're right there," Kelly said. "The Cubs are leading the division. Four one-run games, came out on top on one. Obviously wish it was more. Guys are battling, we're right there. Pitching is doing a heck of a job keeping us in it. We had a chance in the three games we lost."