Kelly’s walk‑off win

Carson Kelly ended the Chicago Cubs’ 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning on April 12 at Wrigley Field. (mlb.com) Chicago trailed 5-0 before rallying, and Michael Busch tied the game with a two-run single in the eighth after an 0-for-30 skid. Jameson Taillon struck out 10 over six innings for the Cubs. (espn.com) The winning play came after the Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, and Kelly drove in the run against Pittsburgh reliever José Urquidy. Wrigley Field attendance was 35,711. (foxsports.com) The comeback stopped a two-game slide against Pittsburgh and gave Chicago its first walk-off win of the 2026 season. The Cubs were 7-8 after the game, two games behind the Pirates in the National League Central. (cubshq.com) (espn.com) Kelly’s hit also capped a game in which Pittsburgh got a leadoff home run from Oneil Cruz and two home runs from Brandon Lowe, including a grand slam. The Pirates still left Chicago with a 9-6 record. (espn.com) The scene carried past the final out. Major League Baseball’s video showed Kelly’s walk-off from the field, and social posts from the aftermath showed fans and players singing as the celebration rolled on. (mlb.com) (x.com) Chicago’s next game is Monday, April 13, in Philadelphia, with Javier Assad scheduled to start against Cristopher Sánchez. Kelly’s single sent the Cubs there with a split of the four-game series. (espn.com)