This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW. With Braxton Ashcraft placed on the injured list, the Pirates had to rely on a bullpen performance against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. A trio of rookie pitchers got hit hard as Pittsburgh was crushed by Chicago 12-2 on Friday afternoon. Advertising Advertising Advertising Scoring First place, PIT 1:0: Connor Griffin led off the game with a triple to right center off Shota Imanagi (10-10). He scored on Oneil Cruz’s opposite-field single to left field. Click here to learn more about PGHBaseballNOW. Download FREE WPXI News App for breaking news alerts. Follow channel 11 news on Facebook And Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Post navigation Manchester United news: Ruben Amorim criticizes former club players who now work in the media – Paper Talk Dallas Icon Linda Gray Looks Stunning at 86 – Check Her Out Now