CHICAGO _ The new extra-inning rules worked in favor of the Chicago Cubs as Javier Baez singled up the middle with one out in the 11th inning Sunday for a 2-1 victory and three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.
The game was delayed by one hour, four minutes after the top of the ninth because of rain.
David Bote started the 11th at second base as part of the new rules. He advanced to third on a fly to right by Anthony Rizzo, and Baez followed with his single off Cody Ponce and past a five-man infield.
The Cubs missed a chance to win in the 10th with Steven Souza Jr. at third. Nico Hoerner and Albert Almora Jr. struck out, and Bote hit a foul pop to first.
In the top of the 10th, Pirates pinch hitter Josh Bell singled to left off Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera. But Kyle Schwarber made a strong throw to nail Jacob Stallings as catcher Willson Contreras survived a collision to hold on to the ball for the first out.
The Cubs bullpen, which entered the game with a 9.64 ERA, posted three scoreless innings in regulation. Dan Winkler struck out Colin Moran on three pitches to bail Casey Sadler out of a jam to end the eighth, and Winkler jammed Jacob Stallings on a grounder to second with the go-ahead run at third to end the top of the ninth.
Bryant, who reported he had a stomachache before Saturday's game, is scheduled to undergo his fourth COVID-19 test Monday morning. But even if his test is negative for the fourth time, he remains in the hands of MLB for clearance to return.
The Cubs didn't put a runner on base through the first three innings against left-hander Steven Brault and didn't get their first hit until Contreras led off the fifth with a double off reliever Chad Kuhl.
Schwarber followed with a double to the left of the 400-foot sign in center field. But Contreras retreated to second and didn't break until the ball sailed over Cole Tucker's head.
Stallings mishandled the tag on Contreras' head-first slide at home plate that enabled the Cubs to tie the game.
Cubs starter Jon Lester allowed a home run to Kevin Newman in the first and needed 47 pitches to get through the first two innings. But after a single by Newman to start the third, Lester retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced and would have retired 11 in a row had second baseman Nico Hoerner not committed an error on a grounder by Moran with two out in the sixth.
Lester needed only 42 pitches over his final four innings.
