Pirates vs. Cubs Game Highlights (4/12/26) | MLB Highlights

From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, it's time for game one of this three-game early-in-the-week series between the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies. Christopher Sanchez, he's been a little down these last two starts. He's tried to lift himself back up, and Assad making his second start for the Cubs. Sanchez, 11 and 10, a 3.44 ERA in his career. And so far this season, he is 1-1 with a 1.65 earned run average. And a fastball on the inside corner, strike three called. A little 96 action. And what a way here in the first. So now it's Alex Bregman with one down, base is empty. Swing and a ground ball up the middle, and that's a base hit. Solid single through the middle of the diamond. Good start for Alex here tonight. And here's Saia. Swing and a ground ball hit towards short. Turner charges. Gloves. Flips to second. 1-1. On to first. It's in time. Good turn. Strong throw by Bryson Scott. And the Phillies turn the 6-4-3 double play, and that'll do it for the Cubs in their half of the first. Javi made his season debut a few days ago against the Rays. He retired the first 12 batters he faced. Velo on his sinker is up. Here's Kyle Schwarber now. Schwarber, four early homers, hitting just 2-12, however. Fly ball center field. Pete Crow Armstrong going back toward the 4-1 side. It is gone! Home run, Kyle Schwarber. There is no goal glover out there. And the Phillies take a 1-0 first inning lead. That ball just took off. And that's just a strong young human being right there. I thought Carl Armstrong was going to camp under that thing, but my Lord, did that thing keep going. Well, it's nice to have a lead, and that's what Christopher Sanchez has as we go to the second. Ian Happ will lead it off. The switch hitter glides one into center. That falls for a hit. So it's the second hit for the Cubs. Down to second goes half. There are two on and nobody out. Dansby Swanson to the plate. Call. Strike three. That's a good pitch there. Miguel Amaya the batter. Swing and a liner over the leaping Trey Turner out into left field. Runners had to hold up, and so the bases are all loaded up as Amaya scorches one into left. Carl Armstrong was one for 12 in the series against the Pirates. Swing and a miss. Struck him out on three pitches. How about that? Just what they need. Bases loaded. One out. Let's start here to Matt Shaw to get him behind in the count. Swing and a tapper off the end of the bat towards first. Harper scoops it. Steps on first. And the sides retired. Sanchez working out of some second-inning trouble. No runs. Couple of hits. Three left by the Cubs. He's leading one-nothing. We go to the bottom of the second inning, and Brendan Marshall will lead it off. And it's hooked out toward right center field. A base hit for Marsh. Stolen base for Marsh. His second of the year. J.T. hitting 2-12. That one's flipped out toward right center field. Splitter's going out, and it's going to drop in for a hit. It's an RBI single. The Fills have scored in back-to-back innings. It's two-nothing. I mean, right off the end of the bat, I don't know, he just didn't read it right. He actually broke back and to his right, and then it was no chance. Kyle Schwarberg homered in the first inning, and he'll bat now. The leadoff batter on right here in the third. That ball's hit well out toward right center field. On the run is Armstrong. It is number two. A two-run home run. His second of the game. The Phillies have scored in three straight innings for the third time this year. Six years with the Cubs, he had 121 home runs. He now has 345 for his career. So Kelly is aboard for the second time. Leadoff single. Bring up Dansby Swanson. Fly ball right field. Garcia back. Back some more. It's gone! Dansby Swanson will add one to his total as he goes the opposite way over the high wall and right, and the Cubs are back in it. It's 4-2 for Dansby, his third of the year. Yeah, back-to-back days with long balls for Dansby. Pulled one into the left field bleachers yesterday. Rarely do we see him hit the ball that far in that direction. The Phillies now have the bases loaded after the single by Garcia. It'll bring up Brandon Marsh. Six-game hitting streak. Ten for 19 during that stretch. And he hits this one the other way. Base hit it to left field. It's a seven-game hitting streak. The Phillies now have the bases loaded after the single by Garcia. It'll bring up Brandon Marsh. And he hits this one out toward left center field. That's going to drive the gap and go all the way to the wall. One is in. Harper's going to score. Garcia held it third. It's a two-run double for Marsh. He has been swinging, I mean, hitting it to all fields. He gets a ball running away from him and just stays on it. Nice, easy swing. Now you're looking at a huge inning. Ball is hit out toward center. Pete Groh-Armstrong going back to the wall. He's at the track. Makes the catch. Garcia will score. Marsh to third. He'll be held there. It's a sack fly for ball, but excellent at-bat. And the Phillies add on again. With only one out with Bryson up, get something in the outfield with Marsh's speed with any sort of depth. It's an eight-to-two game. Line drive out toward center. Here comes Armstrong. He's going to drop. You've got to hurry. Marsh heading home. Here's the throw to the plate. Not in time. Going to second is Stock. He's there. Eight-to-two, Phillies. That's what you love to see, playing the game right, moving runners, taking the extra base when they give it to you. Well, this has become fun. Yes, it has. There's a broken-bat line drive. Into center field. A base hit. Rounding third. Heading for home is Stock. He'll score. Second RBI single tonight for Real Muto. And the Phillies lead it nine-to-two. Well, Javier Assad probably thinking, I should have just given up the solo shot to Schwarber to start the inning instead of issuing a leadoff walk. The Cubs have a base runner. Pete Crow Armstrong is 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts tonight. Pete Crow Armstrong rolls that one back toward the middle. Sliding play by Matt Turner. Gets to his feet. Throws. In time. What a play by Trey. Gets the speedy Pete Crow Armstrong with a strong throw. An absolute laser over the first base. And the Phillies have the first two on for Adolis Garcia. Line drive down the left field line. That's a fair ball going to the corner. Schwarber will score. Harper steaming to third. They're going to hold him there. It's an RBI double for Garcia. 10-2. Yeah, that ball was hit hard. I don't know what the exit below was, but it was hit hard. Here's Bohm. Out towards shortstop. Swanson hands it. A run will score. RBI for Bohm. Two runs have scored in the inning for the Phillies. And they now lead it 11-2. Here's J.T. Renuto. J.T. serves it out to right center. He's got his third hit of the day. Garcia scores. Stopped to third. And the Phillies, oh, they busted out here tonight. They now lead it 12-2. The Phillies at first and second with one away. They lead 12-2. Brandon Marsh the batter. There's a bouncer out to shortstop. And that ball is off the glove of Amaya. Sosa will score. It trickles into the dugout. So will Otto. Yeah, Dansby just buried that one to Amaya over there at first base. It is a base hit for Marsh. And then the error allows the runners to advance. It is 13-2. Racing for second. And Ian is in with a double. Well, a pit for his fifth home run of the year. He has to settle for a double. So by Asteros here. First pitch swinging. Grounds it up the middle and through for a base hit. Half a round. And Ian will come in. Cubs get a run back. And now the bases are loaded with nobody out. Pete Carl Armstrong the batter. Line drive ripped into right field. And that's a base hit. Marsh gathers it in. One run is in. And now the throw gets away. Heads towards the cup. He's dug out. Swanson will scramble home. Runners advance. And it's 13-5. Hey, they're getting restless. Not happy with the pitching and the sloppy play by the Phillies here in the eighth. On the ground and under the glove of Bowe. Amaya is in. Pete Carl Armstrong will stop at third. The Cubs get another run. And there's still nobody out. Now Cubs need another couple hits in this inning. And then somebody blasts one. And you're right back in this game. Two-two. Hit hard through the left side. That's a base hit. PCA is in to score. Down to second. Moves Matt Shaw. Suzuki with an RBI single. His first RBI of the year. And that will bring out Rob Thompson, the manager. He tried to get through this inning and not needing another guy in this inning. And that just didn't work. Strike three called. J.T. knew it. And the inning is finally over. Orion Kerkering is back out there. And Kerkering facing Ballesteros who singled his first time up. Left field. That's back. Back some more. Up against the top of the wall. And off the wall by Ballesteros is in to second. He'll take it. That's how the eighth started. It was a double by Ian Happ off the wall. They got things rolling. And that's three K's for Orion Kerkering tonight. Ballesteros finishes baby off. Pete Carl Armstrong lifts it to center field. Crawford's going back. He's got plenty of room. He's under it. Makes the catch. And the ball game is over. And the Phillies have taken game one against the Cubs. And they do so rather comfortably here tonight by a final score of 13-7. Offense came to life. So did that guy. He kind of set the tone. Two home runs tonight for Kyle Schwarbert. Got six strong innings from Christopher Sanchez. Gets his second win of the season.