PITTSBURGH – A drizzle had already begun when the Cubs’ Mike Tauchman stepped into the batter’s box for the second time in the top of the fifth inning Saturday. The Cubs had batted around, trimming the Pirates’ lead to one run with the help of a hit by pitch and four straight RBI walks.

Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled. Then Tauchman hit a ground ball single to Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz to drive in the tying run. The rain intensified, and the game went into a delay with the score knotted at 6-6 with two outs in the top of the fifth.

Saturday’s NL Central showdown between the Cubs and Pirates at PNC Park was set to be a marquee matchup. MLB’s top pitching prospect Paul Skenes made his major-league debut for the Pirates. And the Cubs had ace Justin Steele on the mound.

Steele struggled in a rare dud of a start, allowing six runs, all on homers. He gave up back-to-back home runs to Connor Joe and Cruz in the third inning, surrendering homers to two straight batters for the first time in his career.

Then in the fourth inning, a two-run homer to Michael A. Taylor made it Steele’s first three-home run game since Sept. 4, 2021 and the second of his career.

Skenes, on the other hand, recorded seven strikeouts in four-plus innings. He gave up a solo homer to Nico Hoerner in the fifth inning and then left the game to a standing ovation with two runners on and no outs in the fifth.

Reliever Kyle Nicolas struck out Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel. But then he hit Ian Happ with a pitch to load the bases and issued three straight walks to push across three runs.

Lefty Josh Flemming replaced him, but he walked in another run and then gave up the game-tying infield single to Tauchman.

This story will be updated as more information comes available.