Andrew McCutchen homered, but the Pirates fell 2-1 to the Cubs on June 14, 2025. Despite a solid start from Mike Burrows, a late homer sealed the loss.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a day of milestones and missed opportunities at the Friendly Confines. Andrew McCutchen continued his reign as the king of visiting sluggers at Wrigley Field, but his early home run wasn't enough as the Pittsburgh Pirates' offense stalled at the worst possible moment, leading to a frustrating 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cubs.
Andrew McCutchen's first-inning blast was his 18th career home run at Wrigley Field, the most by any active visiting player.
The game started with a bang. Andrew McCutchen, who seems to own real estate at Wrigley, launched a solo shot in the first inning for his seventh of the season. It was a promising start, backed by a solid outing from starter Mike Burrows, who navigated 5.1 innings giving up just one run. The Cubs manufactured their first run in the third, with Nico Hoerner singling, stealing a base, and eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly. The game remained deadlocked until the sixth, when Dansby Swanson tagged reliever Ryan Borucki for a go-ahead solo homer, which ultimately proved to be the game-winner.
The real story of the game unfolded in the top of the seventh. The Pirates finally found a rhythm against the Cubs bullpen, loading the bases with three hits off reliever Ryan Pressly. This was the moment—the chance to reclaim the lead and rewrite the narrative. Instead, it became the game's biggest heartbreak. Bryan Reynolds grounded into a soul-crushing double play, and Henry Davis, representing the tying run, struck out looking to end the inning. The rally was over before it truly began, and the Pirates' best chance to win vanished into the Chicago air.
This kind of offensive disappearing act is becoming a troubling pattern. The inability to get a clutch hit with the game on the line underscores a larger organizational question about offensive development. While the farm system boasts an impressive stable of arms like Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft, the upper levels are thin on impact bats. The fact that not a single Top 30 prospect has graduated to the big leagues this season speaks volumes. Today's loss, with just five total hits, is a stark reminder that while pitching can keep you in games, a lack of hitting will ultimately keep you from winning them.
It's another 'what if' loss in a season that's starting to accumulate them. The Pirates will look to salvage the series finale tomorrow, but they'll need more than just one big swing. The entire lineup needs to find a way to manufacture runs, especially with runners in scoring position, if they hope to climb back into the NL Central race. All eyes will be on the offense to see if they can finally break through.
