Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/12/25): Cubs 3, Pirates 2 – Taillon Tops Former Team at Wrigley
The Cubs and Pirates got their series underway at Wrigley Field on Thursday night. It was a low-scoring affair, but the home team hit a pair of home runs to give them just enough for a win
Both starting pitchers, Jameson Taillon and Andrew Heaney, were very sharp early and neither team scored in the opening three frames. Pete Crow-Armstrong broke the tie in the 4th inning when he clubbed a high fastball for a two-run homer to give the North Siders a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs added an insurance run on a solo home run by Seiya Suzuki in the bottom of the 6th inning that made it 3-0. Taillon ran out of gas in the 7th and gave up an RBI single to Adam Frazier before coming out with a pair of runners on base and one away. Brad Keller came in and hit a batter and then walked in a run before stranding the bases loaded with the home team clinging to a 3-2 advantage.
Daniel Palencia and Ryan Pressly handled the final two innings with very little drama to secure a one-run victory for Chicago. (Box score)
Key Moment
Keller struck out the Pirates’ most dangerous hitter, Oneil Cruz, with the bases loaded and two outs in the 7th inning to maintain the Cubs’ 3-2 lead.
Why the Cubs Won
The pitching was good and they got just enough timely power to pull out the victory.
Stats That Matter
- Taillon now has six quality starts in a row: 6.1 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 7 K, 2 BB.
- Pressly has quietly been doing very well recently and converted his first save opportunity in over a month.
Bottom Line
The Cubs only had four hits in this game, but two of them were home runs. Taillon continues to give very valuable innings to his team and has been integral with the other injuries to the rotation. PCA makes things happen every single game and he has made a massive difference for Chicago in 2025.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Friday afternoon at 1:20pm CT. A pair of talented young pitchers are on the mound as Cade Horton faces off against Paul Skenes in a contest broadcast on MLB Network and Marquee with the radio feed on 670 The Score.
