Shota Imanaga was nearly untouchable once again, but the Pittsburgh Pirates proved that baseball is a nine-inning game. The Chicago Cubs' left-hander dominated for six no-hit innings at Wrigley Field on Friday, continuing his historic mastery over the Pirates' lineup. However, Pittsburgh's patience paid off, as they broke through against the bullpen to secure a gritty 2-0 victory.

The game's momentum shifted dramatically in the top of the seventh. After being silenced by Imanaga, the Pirates' offense sparked to life. Ryan O’Hearn led off with a single against reliever Caleb Thielbar, setting the stage for Bryan Reynolds. The star outfielder didn't miss his chance, launching a two-run homer to left field for his third of the season, providing all the offense Pittsburgh would need.

While the late rally captured the headlines, the Pirates' win was built on stellar pitching of their own. Starter Carmen Mlodzinski was brilliant, weaving through 5.1 scoreless innings and extending his remarkable streak to 61 consecutive innings without allowing a home run—the longest active run in the majors. The bullpen then slammed the door shut, with Mason Montgomery escaping a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to earn the win and Dennis Santana locking down his first save of the year.

The victory also featured key individual milestones. Oneil Cruz extended his hitting streak to nine games with a seventh-inning single, now sharing the longest active streak in baseball. For the Cubs, the story was another dominant but fruitless outing from Imanaga, who has now held the Pirates to a microscopic 0.28 ERA over five career starts.

With the series opener in the books, the Pirates look to carry this resilient energy into Saturday's matchup. Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, sporting a sharp 2.25 ERA, is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh in Game Two.