Cubs turn record-tying 7 double plays, edge Pirates

PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays Friday night, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cubs got six double plays on grounders — five with Cole Hamels pitching — and one on a line drive. The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cubs became the third team in big league history to turn seven DPs in a nine-inning game, joining San Francisco in 1969 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1942. Both the Giants and A's lost those games.

Pittsburgh put runners on first and second in the ninth before Jesse Chavez got Freese to ground to Bote. Having hit a game-ending grand slam last Sunday night to beat Washington 4-3, Bote again was in the right place to cap off a win. Bote stepped on third and threw to first base to end it.

In 1994, the Pirates hit into seven double plays in a 10-inning win at St. Louis.

Hamels (8-9) pitched seven solid innings. Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in the second off Trevor Williams (10-9). Chavez got his second save as the Pirates lost their fifth in a row.

Hamels induced double-play grounders in the first, second, third, sixth and seventh innings.

Reliever Jorge De La Rosa got pinch-hitter Adam Frazier to line into a DP to end the eighth.

Hamels (8-9) allowed five hits, struck out three and walked two as he improved to 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA in four starts since being acquired from the Texas Rangers in a trade.

Schwarber hit a drive down the right-field line in the second inning for his 21st home run, sending the NL Central-leading Cubs to their third straight win and increasing their lead to four games over Milwaukee.

The Cubs beat the Pirates by a 1-0 score for the second straight game. On Thursday night, Ian Happ's homer accounted for the only run.

Williams gave up four hits in seven innings. He has surrendered just three runs in 36 innings over his last six starts.

The start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 47 minutes by rain.