Spencer Horwitz had two hits and drove in three runs, including an RBI single in a five-run first inning, and Bubba Chandler pitched six sharp innings as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates routed the Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Tuesday.
Every starter had at least one hit for the Pirates (72-73), who won for the seventh time in nine games to remain in the hunt for the third National League wild card. Oneil Cruz and Rafael Flores Jr. paced Pittsburgh’s 18-hit attack with three hits apiece.
Chicago (75-69) saw its lead atop the American League Central dwindle to two games over the Cleveland Guardians.
Pittsburgh reached White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke for seven runs and eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Burke had two walks and two strikeouts but surrendered five doubles.
Burke (8-7) struggled against the Pirates from the get-go. The right-hander yielded four doubles, two singles and a walk to open the game before recording his first out with a strikeout of Jacob Gonzalez.
Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates the lead with an RBI double three batters into the game. Cruz lined a two-run double one batter later and scored on an Esmerlyn Valdez ground-rule double one batter after that. Horwitz capped the rally with an RBI single.
Konnor Griffin, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Reynolds each had two hits. Flores hit a solo home run against reliever Jose Urquidy in the fifth.
The early run support helped boost Chandler (7-9) to his first victory since Aug. 14. The righty scattered four runs, two hits and eight strikeouts in six innings.
Chicago got on the board with Braden Montgomery’s RBI single in the fifth. Kyle Teel homered for the second straight game to make it 9-2 in the sixth. The White Sox added a seventh-inning run on a Colson Montgomery groundout in the seventh.
Andrew Benintendi and Teel both had two hits for Chicago. The White Sox have lost four of six.
Pittsburgh matched a season-high with six doubles.
