Esmerlyn Valdez launched a two-run homer in Pittsburgh's five-run first inning, powering the Pirates to a 12-1 rout of the Chicago Cubs and extending the North Siders' losing streak to double digits. The rookie joined rare company as just the seventh player in Pirates history to homer twice within his first four major league games.

Braxton Ashcraft (4-3) delivered six-plus strong innings, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out five. His May record now stands at 3-0 with a sparkling 1.82 ERA across five starts. For Chicago, Jordan Wicks struggled in his return from Triple-A, surrendering eight runs before exiting after 4⅓ innings.

The Cubs became only the second team since 1900 to experience both two 10-game winning streaks and one 10-game losing streak in the same season, matching the 2017 Dodgers. Chicago's offensive woes continued with a brutal 1-for-12 showing with runners in scoring position. Spencer Horwitz added a homer for Pittsburgh, while Oneil Cruz collected three hits in the victory.

At 20 years old, Konnor Griffin made history as Pittsburgh's youngest leadoff hitter since 1952. The Pirates secured their third straight win while the Cubs absorbed their longest skid since 2022, dropping their record to 27-29 on the season.