Cubs celebrate a Happ-y Father's Day in walk-off fashion

CHICAGO -- With the best vantage point in the house, Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson pumped his fist in the air as second baseman Nico Hoerner shuffled up from the infield dirt. Hoerner had just made a diving snag of a liner off the bat of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, keeping the Pirates from scoring in the 10th inning on Sunday afternoon.

Hoerner’s heroics set the stage for the Cubs’ 3-2 win in walk-off fashion at Wrigley Field. After avoiding a run in the top half of the frame, the North Siders picked up their third win of the four-game series when Ian Happ pulled a pitch from Pittsburgh’s David Bednar into right field, scoring Vidal Bruján and setting off the on-field party.

“We made a number of winning plays today,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It hopefully highlights some of the things you try to emphasize, where everything matters. Grabbing an advantage wherever you can can be the difference.”

That has been a theme this season for the National League Central-leading Cubs, who have benefited from a high-scoring lineup for much of the season, but rely more on a foundation centered around solid pitching, defense and baserunning. Chicago has built a roster that can seek a variety of paths to the win column, as this latest series and victory displayed.

The Cubs outscored the Pirates 9-7 in four games, with extra innings required to find the finish line in two of them. Four of Sunday’s runs came in the first inning before Chicago and Pittsburgh traded zeros for the next eight frames. The North Siders had to find a moment to capitalize on in order to hoist that “W” flag up the pole atop the old scoreboard.

“The run-scoring environment at Wrigley this year just hasn’t been great,” Happ said. “You have to find ways to win that baseball game.”

The Cubs found their opening in the wake of Hoerner’s snag.

“Just an awesome play,” Happ said. “Not surprising from him.”

First, Counsell sent pinch-runner Bruján to second base as the automatic runner instead of Justin Turner, who made the final out in the ninth. Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker -- out of the starting lineup to give him planned rest -- was summoned as a pinch-hitter for catcher Reese McGuire.

The Pirates opted to intentionally walk Tucker to set up a possible double play.

“It played out kind of how we wanted it to play out,” Counsell said.

With Jon Berti now at the plate for the Cubs, the Pirates ran a bunt-prevention play in anticipation of a sacrifice attempt. First baseman Spencer Horwitz and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes sprinted forward, as Kiner-Falefa hustled from shortstop to cover third. Berti got his bat on the curveball from Bednar and fouled it off.

“They put on a wheel play, which means they’re trying to get the out at third base,” Counsell said. “Berti swung, which is the right thing to do in that situation. You’re instructed to do that. They did an inside move. And then we just took advantage of a pitcher that’s a little bit slower to the plate.”

After reading the way that play unfolded, Bruján broke for third base on the next offering from Bednar. The Pirates were unable to get a throw off and Tucker followed Bruján’s lead and sprinted to second to complete a double steal. With no outs, that opened up more possibilities for the Cubs to secure the winning run.

“Not easy for Bruján to do there,” Happ said. “To have the confidence to take that bag in that spot is massive. It sets us up to be able to have a sac fly or something else to drive in a run, and not have them set up a double play.”

Berti went down swinging, but Happ was next to apply the finishing touch.

Bednar began with a splitter that disappeared below the zone and Happ swung through the pitch for a strike. The Cubs left fielder then whiffed on another splitter -- this one veering inside and off the plate.

“The first splitter was kind of straight down. The second one cut,” Happ said. “They were two kind of unique pitches. His splitter has the ability to do that -- it moves in a bunch of different ways and it’s firm. I was looking for something up enough.”

Happ got what he wanted. Bednar’s next splitter headed to the outer half of the zone, but stayed up and the Cubs veteran was able to pull it into right field for the game’s decisive hit.

“Everything matters,” Counsell said. “To be good at all those moments and focused on every moment is something I think this team is good at and enjoys doing.”