PITTSBURGH -- It turns out that the Pittsburgh Pirates can indeed beat the Chicago Cubs and their ace pitcher Jake Arrieta.Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including an RBI single during a decisive four-run seventh inning, as the Pirates rallied for a rare victory over the Cubs and last years NL Cy Young winner, 8-4 on Friday night.John Jasos RBI single tied the score at 4-4 and chased Arrieta (12-4), who had beaten the Pirates in all three previous starts this season and entered with a 9-1 career record against them.The thing about him is he gives you opportunities, McCutchen said of Arrieta. Weve had plenty of opportunities. There have been maybe a handful of times when hes faced us and hes been lights out. Today, we were able to come through in those opportunities that we got more times than not. We were getting those big hits.Pittsburgh beat Chicago for just the second time in 10 meetings this season.Josh Bell, who had hit a pinch-hit single in his first major league at bat, then scored the go-ahead run from second base when first baseman Anthony Rizzo fielded Gregory Polancos ground ball and threw wildly to reliever Travis Wood, who was covering first base, for an error.McCutchen followed with his RBI single and Starling Marte drove in the innings final run with a grounder. McCutchen, who finished in the top five of the NL MVP voting each of the past four seasons, raised his batting average to .244, still a career low.Bells hit was certainly big as it helped set up the inning.Im on top of a cloud right now, Ill tell you that, Bell said. Its an incredible experience, feeling that ball come off the bat and running to first base. I cant draw it up in a better way, especially against that team and that pitcher.Arrieta gave up six runs and nine hits in six-plus innings while striking out six and walking one in losing for the third time in his last four outings.There are some positives there but giving six runs, especially the ones in the seventh, is my takeaway -- not to put the nail in the coffin and maybe pitch into the eighth inning, Arrieta said. I let it get away.The Pirates won for the eighth time in nine games to pull 7 1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs, the closest they have been since June 1. Chicago has lost eight of nine.Rizzos solo home run, his 21st, off Neftali Feliz (3-0) gave the Cubs a short-lived 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Miguel Monteros fifth homer, a two-run blast in the sixth off Juan Nicasio, pulled Chicago into a tie.Mark Melancon, the sixth Pittsburgh pitcher, got the final out for his 27th save in 28 opportunities.David Freese had a solo home run, his 10th, off Arrieta and Sean Rodriguez added a two-run shot in the second inning, his eighth, as the Pirates took a 3-0 lead.Jason Heyward tripled and scored the Cubs first run in the fourth on a grounder by Javier Baez.Pirates starter Francisco Liriano went five-plus innings and allowing two runs and three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.The Pirates scored the games final run in the eighth inning on Trevor Cahills wild pitch.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: CF Dexter Fowler (strained right hamstring) began a two-game rehab assignment Friday night at Class-A South Bend, going 0 for 2 with two walks. The Cubs will determine Saturday night whether he will be able to play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday at San Diego after he was voted to the NL starting lineup by the fans.Pirates: Polanco (strained left hamstring) left for a pinch-runner in the seventh inning. ... RHP Gerrit Cole (strained right triceps) and RHP Ryan Vogelsong (facial fractures) are scheduled to make five-inning rehab starts Sunday -- Cole for Triple-A Indianapolis and Vogelsong for Double-A Altoona. It will be the second start for Cole, who has been out since June 11, and he will likely to be activated from the disabled list next weekend during a three-game series at Washington. Vogelsong, who is on the 60-day DL, will make his first start since being hit in the face by a pitch May 23 and is expected to be activated July 23. ... C Francisco Cervelli (broken left hand), who has also been on the DL since June 11, will be evaluated Sunday and could begin a rehab assignment Friday following the four-day All-Star break.ROOKIE SHUFFLEBell was recalled from Indianapolis before the game and the switch-hitting 23-year-old first baseman will be used off the bench during the three-game series. RHP Tyler Glasnow was optioned to Indianapolis a day after making his debut against at St. Louis. He allowed four runs, three earned, in 5 1/3 innings while taking the loss.UP NEXTCubs: LHP Jon Lester (9-4, 2.67 ERA) will start Saturday night. He is coming off his shortest career start as he lasted just 1 1/3 innings Sunday in a loss to the New York Mets, allowing eight runs and nine hits.Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (1-0, 4.09) will make his third career start. Oribe Peralta Jersey . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. Raul Jimenez Jersey . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/carlos-vela-mexico-jersey/ . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Giovani dos Santos Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Carlos Salcedo Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. EAST LANSING, Mich. -- All Michigan needed was an exclamation point -- a final flourish that would add a little extra satisfaction to this big victory on a rivals home field.When Michigan State fumbled while attempting a puzzling 2-point conversion with 1 second left, Jabrill Peppers scooped up the loose ball and ran all the way to the end zone. Then the celebration really began.It was just icing on the cake, Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight said. I think we all had figured that we won at that point. Going for two, Im sure there was a reason for that, but for Jabrill to pick that up and take it to the house, that felt good.The defensive conversion by Peppers capped a 32-23 victory for the second-ranked Wolverines, who beat the skidding Spartans for only the second time in the last nine meetings. Peppers also scored a touchdown in the first quarter, and when the games last second finally ticked off, he did a triumphant backflip for good measure.Amara Darboh caught eight passes for a career-high 165 yards, and DeVeon Smith ran for two touchdowns for Michigan.The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) scored every time they had the ball in the first half, sending the Spartans (2-6, 0-5) to their sixth straight loss. Michigan avenged last years loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans scored the winning touchdown on the final play when the Wolverines botched a punt .Michigan State went on to a Big Ten title and a national semifinal appearance after that dramatic victory, but this season its Michigan thats in the national title hunt. The Wolverines were heavy favorites to win in East Lansing, and they trailed only briefly in the first quarter.Michigan led 30-10 in the fourth before the Spartans scored a pair of touchdowns, the last of which came with only 1 second on the clock. Down 30-23, Michigan State attempted a 2-point conversion and fumbled, and Peppers went the other way for two points.Im going to keep scratching for every inch and every point that we can possibly get, so when theres one second on the clock, were going to go for two, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. At that point in time, were probably losing the game. I dont see any foreseeable way that we can scoop up a ball, because its not legal to scoop up a ball and score on an onside kick. So we went for two. Its unfortunate it ended in a big celebration for them.Speight threw for 244 yards for Michigan.dddddddddddd Michigan State, meanwhile, did not complete a pass in the second or third quarter.We were tested in all phases, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. We were sure that was going to be the case and our guys made the plays throughout the ballgame. From start to finish, our guys made a few more plays. It was a good tight game and good for our guys to be tested that way.THE TAKEAWAYMichigan: This was expected to be a mismatch, and it wasnt all that close until the very end. After losing last year on the wacky punt mishap, the Wolverines didnt have to punt until the fourth quarter Saturday. Michigan didnt match its defensive dominance from some earlier games, but the Wolverines did make a nice goal line stand in the third quarter that proved crucial.They bent more than usual, but they never break, Speight said.Michigan State: LJ Scott rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown against the nations top-ranked defense, but Michigan States deficiencies in other areas were eventually exposed. The Spartans defense this year is nothing like the smothering units theyve had in recent seasons, and the passing game was nonexistent until backup quarterback Brian Lewerke came on late.TAKING IT HOMEMichigan won the Paul Bunyan Trophy for the first time since 2012, although CB Jourdan Lewis said he was disappointed the Wolverines didnt have a chance to parade it around the field. Lewis said the trophy was in the locker room afterward.Me and Delano (Hill) wanted to go on the field so we could run it around and get a little victory lap, Lewis said. But hey, we got it back. Im excited to get him back home.GROUND GAMEIn 42 of the previous 46 games in this series, the team with more yards rushing won. That wasnt the case Saturday, when Michigan State outrushed Michigan 217-192.POLL IMPLICATIONSMichigan: The Wolverines can only move up one more spot in the Top 25, and that isnt likely to happen without a loss by No. 1 Alabama.UP NEXTMichigan: The Wolverines host Maryland next Saturday.Michigan State: This is the longest losing streak for the Spartans since they started 0-7 in 1982 -- not including forfeits from 1994. The Spartans play at Illinois on Saturday.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '