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Gerrit Cole allowed only three hits in seven innings and John Jaso blasted a two-run pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the seventh, propelling the Pirates to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies.
The National League’s winningest team has now scored only a single run in 12 innings off Jameson Taillon last night and Cole tonight.
The teams were tied at one apiece in the bottom of the seventh. Adam Ottavino, in relief of starter Tyler Chatwood, allowed a one-out ground single to left by Jordy Mercer. Jaso stepped up to pinch-hit for Cole and drove a 1-0 pitch deep to straight away center field, where the ball landed on top of the padded wall and bounced into the bullpen while the puzzled Rockies’ center fielder Charlie Blackmon tried to locate it in front of him.
The Pirates had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homer to left. He then repeated the feat in the eighth off Jordan Lyles, a two-run shot with Josh Bell on first after a walk.
Apparently Felipe Rivero had already been loosening with a two-run lead so came into the game anyway with a lead of four, and as it wasn’t a save situation promptly coughed up a run - but the Pirates won anyway.
Pirates with multiple hits included McCutchen with the two homers, Mercer with a single and double and David Freese with a pair of singles. In the 17 games since being dropped to the 6 spot in the batting order, McCutchen is 25-for-63, batting 397/480/730 with 5 homeruns.