Jameson Taillon threw six shutout innings to lead the visiting Chicago Cubs to a 4-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of their three-game series on Monday evening.
Taillon (10-6) allowed just two hits, struck out three and walked two on 88 pitches.
The right-hander was activated from the 15-day injured list last Wednesday after being sidelined with a strained groin. He also missed all of July and half of August with a calf strain.
Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled, homered and scored twice, Michael Busch also homered and Dansby Swanson had two hits and an RBI for the Cubs (86-64), who have won five of six.
Pirates rookie right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (4-3) went four innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out four and walking two.
Bryan Reynolds singled and walked for the Pirates (65-86), who have lost nine of the past 10.
Ashcraft struck out four through the first two innings before getting in trouble in the third.
He walked No. 9 hitter Matt Shaw on four pitches to start the inning. Shaw was caught stealing, but Busch homered in the same at-bat to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners and Hoerner scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0.
Crow-Armstrong doubled to lead off the fourth and then stole his 35th base of the season before Swanson doubled off the wall in left to extend the lead to 3-0.
Crow-Armstrong blasted his 29th home run of the season deep to right in the sixth to make it 4-0.
Taillon gave up a two-out single to Reynolds in the first inning and then allowed just one base runner over the next four innings.
Spencer Horwitz recorded the second hit for the Pirates with two outs in the sixth and Reynolds followed with a walk, but Taillon got Tommy Pham to ground into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
Michael Soroka was activated from the 15-day IL (shoulder) on Monday and threw two scoreless innings of relief for Chicago.
Porter Hodge started the ninth for the Cubs, but left with the bases loaded and two outs. Brad Keller entered and struck out Jared Triolo for his second save.
