PITTSBURGH _ Cole Hamels provided quality Wednesday night to a Cubs pitching staff in need of stability.
Hamels struck out nine in five innings in his Cubs debut. The offense made Hamels feel comfortable by taking advantage of two errors to score four times in the first inning as the Cubs coasted to a 9-2 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.
Hamels, who was acquired Friday from the Rangers for two pitchers and a player to be named later or cash, allowed three hits and walked two in a 95-pitch outing.
Hamels' fastball topped out at 94 mph, and his changeup was effective.
The Pirates' lone run off Hamels occurred in the first as shortstop Addison Russell committed a throwing error that led to an RBI single by Francisco Cervelli with two out.
In the top of the first, a fielding error by second baseman Sean Rodriguez scored the second run off Nick Kingham, and Kingham committed a throwing error after Javier Baez broke too soon off second base, thus allowing Baez to score the third run.
Wilson Contreras' single scored Ian Happ to cap the rally, and Contreras ripped a two-run home run in the eighth.
Happ and Contreras each drew bases-loaded walks in the second off left-hander Steven Brault, and Anthony Rizzo's grounder scored Contreras in the sixth.
Reliever Brandon Kintzler, acquired from the Nationals prior to the Tuesday trade deadline, made his Cubs debut in the sixth.
Tyler Chatwood, demoted to the bullpen after the acquisition of Hamels, pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Cubs open a four-game series Thursday night against the Padres at Wrigley Field.
