Cubs smack Pirates for third win in a row

Kris Bryant finished 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs, Nicholas Castellanos went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs, and the Chicago Cubs cruised to a 14-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon.

Ben Zobrist, Nico Hoerner and Victor Caratini also homered for Chicago (80-68), which won its third consecutive game. The Cubs improved to 49-24 at home this season, compared with a 31-44 record on the road.

Kevin Kramer drove in the only run for Pittsburgh (65-84), which has dropped back-to-back games.

Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (11-9) limited the Pirates to one run on seven hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out two to win his third decision in a row.

Pirates rookie right-hander James Marvel (0-2) surrendered seven runs on nine hits in four innings. He walked none and fanned two.

The Cubs jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Castellanos opened the outburst with a bases-loaded three-run double to left field. In the next at-bat, Bryant singled to drive in Castellanos.

Castellanos, who has a career-high 52 doubles this season, has 15 doubles, 15 homers and 33 RBIs in 41 games since Chicago acquired him July 31 from the Detroit Tigers.

In the third, Zobrist clubbed a solo shot to increase the Cubs' lead to 5-0. It was his first homer in 35 games this season.

The Pirates pulled within 5-1 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Kramer.

Bryant made it 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer, which was his 29th of the season.

The Cubs scored three more in the fifth to go ahead 10-1. Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run single with the bases loaded, and Bryant picked up his fourth RBI a couple of batters later when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Hoerner made history with a three-run homer in the sixth that increased the Cubs' advantage to 13-1. It represented the 236th homer of the season for the Cubs, which is a franchise record.

Caratini extended the record in the seventh with a solo shot, his 10th, to make it 14-1.

--Field Level Media