PITTSBURGH — Dansby Swanson, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki all took Pirates ace Paul Skenes deep in the fifth inning as the Cubs pulled away for an 8-3 victory on Thursday. Suzuki later added a two-run shot off reliever Kyle Nicolas as Chicago took two of three from the last-place Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes experienced a career first on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs ( GameTracker ), and not of the positive manner he's grown accustomed to over the last year. Rather, Thursday's game represented the first time he has surrendered three home runs during an appearance at the big-league level.

It was the last of three home runs the Cubs hit off Skenes in the fifth after solo shots by Dansby Swanson and Kyle Tucker. Those three runs gave the Cubs their first lead. And for good measure, Suzuki added a two-run homer in the seventh inning off reliever Kyle Nicolas.

The Chicago Cubs (18-13) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (12-19) wrap up a 3-game series Thursday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Cubs vs. Pirates odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

The Chicago Cubs head north to face the Milwaukee Brewers Friday at American Family Field in the opener of a 3-game set.

SportsLine's model simulated Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 10,000 times and revealed its MLB picks for Thursday's matchup