3 takeaways from another Cubs series win, including a red-hot Seiya Suzuki leading a power surge

Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune on May 1, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs have touted a diverse offense that isn’t reliant on home runs to win games.

But long balls certainly help and were pivotal in the Cubs’ 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday at PNC Park.

A three-home-run fifth inning against starter Paul Skenes turned a two-run deficit into a 3-2 Cubs advantage. Dansby Swanson led off with a home run, his second of the series, and Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki went back-to-back. The Cubs (19-13) tacked on runs in the later innings for insurance.

“A very good job by the offense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Two strikeouts in a day Paul Skenes starts, it’s a good day.”

Here are three takeaways from another series win and the Cubs’ first of the season against a National League Central foe.

1. Seiya Suzuki got on a roll.

When Suzuki gets hot, look out. He has been arguably the biggest beneficiary of Kyle Tucker’s addition to the lineup, giving him a dangerous hitter batting either in front or behind him every game.

Suzuki’s performance at PNC Park this week was electric in the two Cubs wins. He finished a single short of the cycle Tuesday and clubbed a pair of home runs Thursday to help the Cubs take the series.

Suzuki’s solo shot in the fifth off Skenes came on a 3-0 pitch, sending a splitter up in the zone to the right-center-field seats to give them the lead. Suzuki added a two-run home run in the seventh. He has shown more aggressiveness this season on pitches in the zone, with that home run another example of Suzuki finding chances to get away from the track record of at times a too selective approach.

“A pitcher like that in that moment he wants to throw a strike and then if you let that go, they get the momentum, get the rhythm of the at-bat,” Suzuki said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “They can throw really good pitches afterward, so I think in that moment, 3-0, it’s going to be a good pitch, and I want to stay aggressive. That worked out at the end.”

Thursday’s multihomer game was the fifth of Suzuki’s big league career.

“I’m not a home run hitter so I’m not out there trying to hit home runs, so the fact that I hit two in one game is a miracle — I don’t want to forget that,” Suzuki quipped.

2. Cubs still seeking production at third base.

The Cubs must hope top prospect Matt Shaw gets on track offensively at Triple-A Iowa and returns to the majors to hit the way they expect.

Their third-base production has been bleak, including Shaw’s struggles before he was sent down to Iowa in mid-April. In Thursday’s series finale, Nicky Lopez became the sixth player to start at third base for the Cubs only 32 games into the season. The Cubs’ combined .541 OPS from their third basemen ranks 25th in the majors at the position, and the group is 17th in offensive WAR (0.3).

Counsell anticipates Jon Berti will get a majority of the starts at third base, though he wants to be cognizant to give Berti days off to keep him healthy.

“I mean, I don’t think we have an everyday option,” Counsell said. “And I think Jon’s doing a good job. We’re going to take advantage to try to get some matchups when we can. … That’s where we’re at with the position right now.”

Lopez went 0 for 2 Thursday before Berti replaced him as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Berti flew out but singled in the ninth and later scored to help pad their lead.

Shaw has started to get on track at Triple A, going 10 for 17 with four extra-base hits in his last four games. The Cubs need to see consistency over a longer stretch before they recall Shaw.

3. Colin Rea extended his stellar start to the season.

Replacing Justin Steele’s consistency following season-ending left elbow surgery presented the Cubs’ first big early-season challenge.

Rea was the first pitcher given the opportunity to take Steele’s spot in the rotation, and the 34-year-old right-hander has thrived in the role. He outdueled Skenes on Thursday, tossing six innings and limiting the Pirates to two runs and four hits. Rea retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced.

Rea owns a 1.46 ERA through seven games (four starts).

“He’s just steady,” Counsell said. “It’s why you survive and thrive in the career that he’s had. A lot of ups and downs and journeys throughout his career, and that steadiness is what keeps you going every day when you face the bad and doesn’t get you too overwhelmed when the good stuff happens. That’s a great trait that Colin has.”

Rea has been most pleased by how good he has felt through his four starts.

“I feel like I’m bouncing back, and I’m built up to a spot now where I can start going deeper into the game,” Rea said.

While the Cubs still should look to acquire a frontline starter by the trade deadline, Rea has provided the type of quality innings they hoped for when signing him in the offseason to bolster their organizational rotation depth.