The Chicago Cubs offense isn’t reliant on home runs, but long balls were pivotal in an 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

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.

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

Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs with his lone hit to help the Pittsburgh Pirates snap a three-game slide with a 4-3 win against the visiting Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

Andrew McCutchen clears the bases with a two-run double for the Pirates vs. the Cubs.

Andrew McCutchen's seventh-inning heroics helped the Pittsburgh Pirates snap a losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, in a game marked by a scary moment involving a falling fan.