Cubs keep rolling, beat Pirates 6-4

PITTSBURGH — Chris Coghlan gave still-streaking Chicago an early lead with a three-run triple in the second inning and the Cubs built on what was already the majors’ best record with a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

The Cubs, despite long since clinching the NL Central, kept up a surge they hope continues into the postseason with their seventh victory in eight games and 14th in 17 games against the Pirates — the team they eliminated in the 2015 NL wild card game.

Chicago is 101-56, the most wins by the franchise in 106 years — or since the 1910 Cubs won 104 games.

The Pirates, despite rallying with three runs in the ninth and putting the potential winning run on base, are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012 after dropping their fourth in a row and fifth in six games. With a 77-80 record, they must win four of their final five to avoid their first losing season since 2012 — the last in a record run of 20 consecutive losing seasons.

Dexter Fowler scored once and added an RBI double in the fourth against Pirates starter Ryan Vogelsong (3-7), who hurt himself with five walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch while permitting four runs over five innings. He threw only 51 of his 102 pitches for strikes.

Already leading 4-1 in the ninth, the Cubs added what proved to be two important runs after Gregory Polanco, playing left field rather than right with Starling Marte out, dropped a routine, two-out fly ball hit by Tommy La Stella. Albert Almora Jr., who had tripled, scored on that play, and Javier Baez followed with a single for his seventh RBI in two games.

Cubs starter John Lackey (11-8) needed 93 pitches to get through five innings, but allowed only a run on five hits to beat the Pirates for the second time in four career decisions.

Six relievers followed Lackey, with Justin Grimm surrendering three runs in the ninth on Gregory Polanco’s single and Andrew McCutchen’s two-run single before Felix Pena got the final two outs on strikeouts for his first major league save.

Coghlan missed by a couple of feet of hitting the Cubs’ second grand slam in as many nights — Javier Baez hit the second of his career as the Cubs won 12-2 Monday — when he hit a drive off the wall in right center in the second.

That was the only hit the Cubs needed in a three-run second as Vogelsong hit Baez with a pitch before walking Munenori Kawasaki and Dexter Fowler — two of the five walks he issued in five innings — to load the bases.

The Pirates got a run back in their half of the inning against Lackey as Matt Joyce singled, moved up on Sean Rodriguez’s single and scored on Francisco Cervelli’s double play grounder.

Lackey then helped himself in the fourth, putting down a sacrifice bunt following Kawasaki’s leadoff single. Fowler followed with an RBI double off the wall in center.

The start likely was the 39-year-old Vogelsong’s 13th and last of his 12th major league season, one in which he missed nearly 2 1/2 months after being struck in the face by a Jordan Lyles fastball on April 27 against Colorado. He hasn’t said if he intends to try to pitch next season.

NOTES: The Cubs are 100-game winners for the first time since 1935, but they won’t threaten the franchise record for single-season victories. The 1906 Cubs went 116-26. … Pirates OF Gregory Polanco (facial contusion) started for the first time since running into an outfield wall Friday. OF Starling Marte (back) remained out. … Cubs INF Kris Bryant plans to pay off an incentive to teammate Chris Coghlan by giving him the meal money he’s receiving for the team’s current road trip. Before Monday’s game, Bryant promised that if Coghlan scored on what would be Bryant’s 100th RBI of the season, Bryant would give him all the money in his wallet. Bryant wanted to reach the mark after finishing with 99 RBIs last season. Bryant got the night off Tuesday. … Cubs OF Jorge Soler (right side tightness) might be ready to play by this weekend in Cincinnati.