PITTSBURGH _ Another ninth-inning lead. Another walk-off loss.
For the second time in as many nights, the Cubs couldn't put away an opponent. They blew a 2-1 lead as the Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 3-2 win and hand the Cubs their fourth consecutive loss.
A bases-loaded single by Kevin Newman off Brandon Kintzler was the latest punch to the Cubs, who fell to 23-39 on the road and dropped one game behind the Cardinals in the National League Central.
The rally started when Bryan Reynolds' grounder to third eluded David Bote's glove for a hit. After Starling Marte grounded to the mound, the Cubs intentionally walked Josh Bell.
Kintzler, who was activated earlier Friday, then walked Colin Moran and pinch hitter Cole Tucker to force in the tying run, and Newman hit a single up the middle on a 3-2 count to hand the Cubs their 17th loss in their last 25 road games.
Until the ninth, Tony Kemp provided the biggest spark with a two-run triple off closer Felipe Vazquez with one out in the eighth to vault the Cubs to a 2-1 lead. That hit temporarily lessened the sting of blowing a five-run lead in the final two innings of a 7-5 loss to the Phillies on Thursday in Philadelphia.
After looking helpless for most of seven innings against nemesis Joe Musgrove, the Cubs broke through. Jonathan Lucroy hit a single to center, and pinch-hitter Ian Happ followed with a hit to right-center to advance Lucroy to third and prompt Pirates manager Clint Hurdle to pull Musgrove in favor of Vazquez, who had limited left-handed batters to a .205 average.
Kemp, who was 1 for 5 against lefties, ripped Vazquez's pitch into deep right-center.
The rally gave the Cubs some measure of redemption against Musgrove, who entered Friday's game with a 1.23 ERA in five career starts against them. Musgrove tied a career high with nine strikeouts and limited the Cubs to four hits.
Kyle Hendricks, who was tagged for seven runs on 12 hits in 2 2/3 innings in his last start against the Reds, limited the Pirates to one run on three hits over seven innings. Hendricks has a 2.01 ERA in his last 11 starts against the Pirates.
The Pirates scored first in the fourth. Marte hit a single to left, stole second and scored on a single to right by Moran on a letter-high pitch that sailed just past the outstretched glove of first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Hendricks was otherwise sharp, with the exception of a walk to Adam Frazier to start the sixth.
