Sweeping a short two-game streak against the Pirates by virtue of a 4-2 victory Tuesday in Pittsburgh, the Chicago Cubs won their sixth straight game to climb to third place in the Central in the National, a half-match in front of their opponents of the day.

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This time, the Cubs quickly imposed their rhythm with a collection of three points in the opening round. Ian Happ opened the game with a two-point double before scoring the third point for his team thanks to a two-goal strike from Nico Hoerner.

If he conceded a two-run homer to Oneil Cruz, Keegan Thompson (8-4) gave the Pirates little opportunity to rejoice. In seven innings, he allowed two runs and four hits, in addition to striking out seven opponents.

Rowan Wick and Mychal Givens were then perfect on their respective outings – each for one run – with the latter notching his second save of the campaign in the process. They notably had the help of Seiya Suzuki, who slammed his eighth long pitch of the campaign on the eighth turn at bat.

After allowing three points from the start, Bryse Wilson (1-6) pulled himself together. He allowed six hits to the safety line and one walk during his day on the job, which lasted six innings.

The Cubs will now hit the road for two series. They will first travel to San Francisco to face the Giants four times, then to St. Louis to meet the Cardinals three times.

Having suffered three consecutive losses, the Pirates will be hoping that the imminent visit of their Pennsylvania rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, will be enough to motivate the troops and get back on the road to victory.