Lester helps Cubs to 6th straight win, beats Cole, Pirates
Jon Lester outpitched Gerrit Cole with seven gutsy innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 on Saturday for their sixth straight win.
Kris Bryant went 2 for 2 with two walks and scored twice as the Cubs moved six games over .500 for the first time since they were 83-77 on Oct. 3, 2009, according to STATS. It is the longest win streak for Chicago since a seven-game run in 2011.
Lester (4-2) allowed one run and nine hits in his fourth consecutive win. The left-hander struck out seven, running his career total to 1,504 Ks, and walked one.
Sean Rodriguez homered for Pittsburgh, which has dropped four in a row. Starling Marte and Jung Ho Kang had three hits apiece.
Cole (5-2) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. He began the day with a 6-0 record and a 2.92 ERA in six career starts against the Cubs.
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