PITTSBURGH _ Anthony Rizzo won't face any penalties after an official review revealed he should have been charged with interference for his controversial slide in Monday's game against the Pirates.
That was the best news for the Cubs and Rizzo, who hit a game-tying home run that sparked a three-run rally in the seventh inning that vaulted the Cubs to an 8-6 win Tuesday night.
The Cubs held a four-run lead before Starling Marte hit a two-run single off closer Brandon Morrow, who struck out Josh Bell and retired Corey Dickerson on a pop to short to end the game.
Rizzo has 14 RBIs in his last 11 games, and his 28 RBIs this month lead the majors.
Rizzo's 28 RBIs are the second most he has collected in a month, surpassed by his 30 RBIs in August of 2017. The last Cub player to drive in at least 27 RBIs in May was Alfonso Soriano, who had 29 in May of 2008.
Rizzo's double in the first extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
After Rizzo's homer, the Cubs took the lead on a single by Willson Contreras and double by Ian Happ. Jason Heyward's third hit of the game, a single with two out, scored Happ.
Kyle Schwarber hit a line drive off the right field foul pole for a two-run homer to open the eighth. Rizzo had to move his feet on a 3-0 pitch from Michael Feliz for a walk. Willson Contreras was drilled on the left shoulder for the second time on a pitch from Feliz and clapped his hands while staring at Feliz while trotting to first base, but the Cubs failed to score.
The beneficiary of the comeback was Jon Lester, who overcame a 24-pitch first inning to last six innings. Lester helped his cause by hitting a single in the fifth that preceded a two-run home run by Ben Zobrist, and Lester hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth.
In the first, Austin Meadows hit a drive to center that Happ lost in the sun for a double, and the Pirates capitalized on a double by Starling Marte and an RBI single by Josh Bell.
Elias Diaz, who was clipped by Rizzo's leg on a slide that created a firestorm of controversy, led off the second with a home run.
Meadows hit a home run off Lester to open the fifth.
