Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/15/25): Pirates 3, Cubs 2 – Bats Remain Lifeless in Loss
The Cubs and Pirates opened up their series at a sunny Wrigley Field Friday afternoon. Chicago continued to struggle offensively and lost another one-run game.
Pittsburgh went in front on Colin Rea with an RBI double off the bat of Andrew McCutchen in the 4th inning. The North Siders responded in the bottom of a frame with a run-scoring single by Pete Crow-Armstrong against Braxton Ashcraft.
The Pirates retook the lead in the top of the 7th when Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled off of Ryan Brasier to make it 2-1. The Cubs immediately answered again when Matt Shaw hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to even the game.
Jack Suwinski put Pittsburgh on top for good with a go-ahead solo home run against Daniel Palencia in the top of the 9th. An attempted rally in the bottom of the frame fizzled when PCA overslid second base on a steal and was tagged out as the road team prevailed 3-2. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs had the bases loaded with nobody out in the 7th inning and could only muster a single run. It was another major missed opportunity, a very common theme the last month.
Why the Cubs Lost
The lineup again produced very little and wasted a good pitching performance.
Stats That Matter
- Another solid outing for Rea, who certainly wasn’t to blame Friday: 5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 5 K, 2 BB.
- PCA had three hits in this one, matching his total for the rest of the month.
Bottom Line
The Cubs are just completely lost right now and they are in real danger of going into a tailspin. As a testament to just how bad the offense has been, Chicago has not had a comeback win since July 2. Something has to change pretty quickly or missing the playoffs altogether will become a distinct possibility.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Saturday at 1:20pm CT. Shōta Imanaga is on the mound against Mike Burrows in a contest airing on FS1 and Marquee with a radio feed on 670 The Score.
