Crow-Armstrong powers the Cubs to an 11-0 rout of the Pirates

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong was 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 11-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Shota Imanaga (7-8) held Pittsburgh to four hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one.

Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes (9-9), who had allowed five runs in 18 1/3 innings to win his previous three starts, struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings but gave up five earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Crow-Armstong, who was a triple short of the cycle, had an extra-base hit in three straight innings, capped by a two-run homer over the wall in right off Ron Marinaccio to give Chicago a 10-run lead in the seventh inning. It was his 23rd of the season.

He also had a single in the first and an RBI double in the fifth off Skenes, and a double off Isaac Mattson in the sixth.

The Cubs struck out nine times against Skenes through the first four innings before solving him for three runs in the fifth. Crow-Armstrong sent a 2-2 changeup to the center field wall, driving in Dansby Swanson. Then, with the infield in and two runners in scoring position, Seiya Suzuki dropped a single into right field over first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

Chicago scored five more in the sixth, chasing Skenes with one out after Nico Hoerner singled and Pedro Ramírez walked. Swanson lined an RBI double to left and Miguel Amaya drove in two more with a single. Michael Busch also hit a two-run single.

Jake Mangum was the only Pirates batter to reach second base against Imanaga, sending a sharp single past the glove of third baseman Alex Bregman for the first Pittsburgh hit with two outs in the third and taking second on a throwing error by Swanson.

Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (9-4, 3.95 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.38).

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