FinalFinal lineupsNL Central

Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Chicago Cubs 12

Final Score and Game Recap

Final score, pitching lines and standings context.

2:20 PM ET · Wrigley FieldGame-day snapshot Sep 11, 5:10 PM ETFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 12, 5:00 AM ET

T-Score53

2–12

FINAL · 9 innings

T-Score61

FINAL · 9 innings

Cubs pound out 16 hits, back Shota Imanaga in 12-2 win over Pirates

The Cubs turned a matchup that featured contrasting pregame profiles into a one-sided result, showing their edge at the plate in a 12-2 win over the Pirates on Friday at Wrigley Field.

Pittsburgh struck first on Bryan Reynolds’ solo homer in the opening inning, but Chicago answered quickly and never let up. The Cubs scored 3 runs in the second, 2 in the third and 4 more in the fourth to take control early, then added 2 in the sixth and 1 in the seventh.

Wilber Dotel opened for Pittsburgh and took the loss after allowing 3 runs in 2.0 innings. Khristian Curtis followed and was tagged for 6 runs in 3.0 innings, and Pirates relievers gave up 9 runs overall after Dotel’s exit. Shota Imanaga, meanwhile, worked 6.0 innings for Chicago, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs. Javier Assad, Daniel Palencia and Trent Thornton finished with 3 scoreless innings.

Chicago’s lineup produced up and down the order. Alex Bregman went 3-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBI, Michael Busch drove in 3, Carson Kelly added 2 RBI, and Seiya Suzuki scored 3 times while collecting 3 hits. Nico Hoerner chipped in 2 hits and an RBI as the Cubs finished with 16 hits.

Chicago erased an early 1-0 deficit with 3 runs in the second, 2 in the third and 4 in the fourth.
Shota Imanaga allowed 2 runs in 6.0 innings, and the Cubs bullpen covered the final 3.0 innings without allowing a run.
Wilber Dotel allowed 3 runs in 2.0 innings, and Pittsburgh’s relievers surrendered 9 more in the 12-2 loss.

Pitching recap

Pitcher	Team	Role	IP	H	ER	BB	K	P
Wilber Dotel	PIT	StarterLoss	2.0	4	3	0	1	38
Shota Imanaga	CHC	StarterWin	6.0	5	2	2	4	100

Scoring by inning

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh Pirates	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	1
Chicago Cubs	0	3	2	4	0	2	1	0	0	12	16	0

Top hitters

Alex Bregman3-for-4 · 1 HR · 2 RBI

Bryan Reynolds1-for-3 · 1 HR · 1 RBI · 1 BB

Michael Busch2-for-4 · 3 RBI · 2 R

Carson Kelly2-for-3 · 2 RBI · 1 R

Seiya Suzuki3-for-5 · 1 RBI · 3 R

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation

CategoryComparisonWhy

Starting pitcherCubsThe starters are close overall, but Imanaga owns the better strikeout and control profile.

Offense vs handCubsChicago has produced the stronger offense against right-handed pitching.

LineupPiratesPittsburgh's official lineup includes 6 right-handed bats against the opposing starter.

BullpenPiratesPittsburgh has allowed fewer runs from the bullpen on the season ERA.

Recent formPiratesPittsburgh has won 8 of its last 10 and owns the stronger recent run differential.

Pregame contextStarting pitchers

Wilber Dotel RHP

Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)

ERA

4.41

WHIP

1.32

K/9

9.37

BB/9

3.86

FIP

–

HR/9

0.55

OPS/R

–

32.2

Last 5 starts

QUALITY
START %

(0 of 5)

DAYS
REST

Shota Imanaga LHP

Chicago Cubs

2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)

ERA

3.91

79th

WHIP

1.12

35th

K/9

8.75

71st

BB/9

2.01

12th

P-Score59i

FIP

–

HR/9

1.90

203rd

OPS/R

–

156.1

Last 5 starts

ERA

5.06

QUALITY
START %

40%

(2 of 5)

DAYS
REST

How the starters differ

·Imanaga allows fewer baserunners, with a 1.12 WHIP compared with 1.32.

·Dotel allows the lower home-run rate: 0.55 vs 1.90 per nine.

·Imanaga averages 3.6 more innings per start.

·Imanaga enters with a 3.91 ERA compared with Dotel's 4.41.

Cubs’ stronger season profile meets a hotter Pirates club in Wrigley matchup

Friday’s matchup at Wrigley Field sets up as a good test of what matters more right now: the broader body of work or the shorter, sharper recent run.

Over the full season, the Cubs have been the better club. Chicago enters at 81-66, compared with Pittsburgh at 74-73, and the Cubs’ offense has been more productive in the categories that tend to shape games most directly. Chicago is scoring 5.31 runs per game to Pittsburgh’s 4.82, with edges in on-base percentage (.339 to .331), slugging (.429 to .403) and OPS (.768 to .734). The Pirates have a slight batting-average advantage, .253 to .251, but the Cubs have done more damage overall. That helps explain why Chicago sits second in the NL Central, 10.0 games back, while Pittsburgh is third at 17.0 back.

But the recent form points the other way. The Pirates have gone 8-2 over their last 10, while the Cubs are 4-6. That’s not because Pittsburgh has suddenly become the higher-scoring club — Chicago has actually averaged 5.50 runs over its last 10, compared with Pittsburgh’s 4.50 — but it does give this game a different feel than a simple season comparison would suggest.

The probable starters add another layer. Shota Imanaga gives Chicago the more established starting profile: 28 starts, 156.1 innings, a 3.91 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and excellent control at 2.0 walks per nine. He also owns a 43 percent quality-start rate. Pittsburgh’s probable starter, Wilber Dotel, is harder to pin down. He has yet to make a start, so if he gets the ball it would be his first, and his 32.2 innings come with mixed signals: a 4.41 ERA but a much better 3.09 FIP, plus 9.4 strikeouts per nine and a strong 0.55 home runs allowed per nine. Dotel’s numbers suggest swing-and-miss ability and better home-run prevention than Imanaga, but Imanaga has been far more efficient with traffic and free passes.

If the game turns into a bullpen night, Pittsburgh has the statistical edge there as well. The Pirates’ relief group owns a 3.94 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 9.4 K/9, all better than Chicago’s 4.39 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 8.0 K/9.

That leaves the Cubs with the stronger season-long case and the Pirates with a more favorable recent run — and a pitching matchup that is more complicated than the records alone suggest.

Chicago brings the better season profile: 81-66 record, 5.31 runs per game, and a .768 OPS compared with Pittsburgh’s 74-73, 4.82 runs per game, and .734 OPS.
Pittsburgh has been hotter lately, going 8-2 in its last 10 games while the Cubs are 4-6.
The probable starters offer a contrast: Shota Imanaga has the steadier starting résumé, while Wilber Dotel’s limited sample shows stronger FIP, strikeout rate, and home-run prevention.