WATCH: Highlights of Cubs-Pirates game, including crucial overturned call


by - Senior Writer -

PITTSBURGH — Losing 5-4, the Chicago Cubs (61-45) dropped a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates (56-52) on Tuesday night that featured a questionable call in the ninth inning.

The Cubs entered the final frame trailing 5-3, with a three-run home run by Javier Baez providing them with their only runs up to that point.

David Bote tallied a leadoff single in the top of the ninth, and Addison Russell followed that by smacking an extra-base hit to deep right-center. Attempting to convert a double into a triple after the ball was bobbled in the outfield, Russell was initially ruled safe after sliding headfirst into third.

However, an umpire-initiated review of the play commenced, and the call was overturned. Replays indicated that Russell might have briefly come entirely off the bag while David Freese was applying a tag at third base. But the evidence was not exactly indisputable, which made it surprising when the call was overturned.

Thereafter, the Cubs were outed in back-to-back at-bats to end the game. Had Russell been allowed to remain at third, he likely would have scored, as there would have been no outs and a man on third. Instead, the Cubs lost in deflating fashion.

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