Chicago Cubs let lead slip away, walk-off on a Montero single

After dropping the final two games to the Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs returned to Wrigley Field. They welcomed in the third-place Pittsburgh Pirates who are fighting for an N.L. Wild Card berth. Pittsburgh currently trails the Redbirds.

And what a wild game tonight’s series opener would turn out to be. Early on, it looked as if the Chicago Cubs (83-47) were going to cruise their win to a victory. Meanwhile, the Pirates (67-62) had other plans on their minds, rallying to take the lead from Jake Arrieta.

Arrieta (16-5, 2.84 ERA) was on the hook for the loss even though he had a three-run lead early on as Pittsburgh stormed back. The Pirates tagged him for six earned runs on five hits, three walks, and three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Outfielder Jorge Soler nearly missed a three-run homer in the third. Soler’s hit ended up bouncing off the ivy for a double, scoring two runs.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs: Adrian Sampson is forcing his way into the conversation
• Projecting the Chicago Cubs bullpen to open the 2023 season
• Cubs fans are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel
• Justin Steele has evolved into a frontline starter for the Cubs
• The future of first base is murky right now for the Cubs

As mentioned earlier, the Pirates ended up battling back. It all started when Josh Bell crushed his second career homer — both coming against the Cubs. Gregory Polanco later added a three-run homer to left field, giving Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead in the sixth.

Moments after Travis Wood entered the game in the seventh, Josh Harrison delivered for his club with a base knock. Harrison’s double plated two runs, giving Pittsburgh a three-run lead of their own.

Just when it looked like the Cubbies were down and out, they flexed a little muscle of their own behind a strong rally. Rookie catcher Willson Contreras got things going with his ninth home run of the season. A two-run homer to deep center field that scored Jason Heyward, resulting in the lead getting cut to one.

Next: Montgomery's audition starts now

Soler, who missed a home run earlier, had another opportunity to go yard. That is exactly what he did in the eighth inning. This set the table for extra-innings ball at Wrigley for a game that started at 7:05 p.m. central.

During extra’s, infielder Javier Baez had the chance to score the game-winning run but was thrown out twice. The first time came on a double-play and the other was a fly out off the bat of shortstop Addison Russell.

Nonetheless, the Cubs were able to get the job done in the 13th inning. Miguel Montero was the only bat on the bench and came through with a walk-off single.