PITTSBURGH _ The Cubs relied again on the home run Sunday as Kyle Schwarber hit a homer in the second inning, but that's the extent of their offense as they fell to the Pirates, 2-1, in 11 innings at PNC Park.
Adam Frazier hit a home run off Brandon Kintzler with two outs in the 11th on a 3-0 count to give the Pirates a split of their four-game series and cut the Cubs' lead in the National League Central to 3{ games.
With one out in the 10th, Gregory Polanco poked a double down the right-field line off Pedro Strop. David Freese was hit in the left shoulder by a 95-mph pitch, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Jim Hickey.
Elias Diaz flied to center, and Josh Bell grounded to second, prompting a leaping fist pump from Strop as he left the field.
Schwarber smacked his homer into the right-field seats off Jameson Taillon, who limited the Cubs to five hits in six innings.
In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Steve Cishek walked Bell and was replaced by Strop.
Strop induced Josh Harrison to bunt into a force play, but Adeiny Hechavarria drew a walk and Frazier was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Manager Joe Maddon employed a five-man infield, with right fielder Ben Zobrist stationed near second base. Corey Dickerson promptly hit a grounder to Javier Baez, who flipped the ball to Zobrist, who threw to first to complete the double play.
Cubs starter Jose Quintana retired 10 consecutive batters before Dickerson opened the sixth with an infield hit and scored on a double by Gregory Polanco.
The Cubs executed a relay to prevent the Pirates from taking the lead in the seventh. After Starling Marte hit a double, Schwarber played the carom off the left-field fence and threw quickly to Baez.
Baez fired to home plate, where catcher Willson Contreras made a tough catch and tagged pinch-runner Kevin Newman for the final out.
The Cubs have a day off on Monday before opening a two-game interleague series at Detroit.
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