Pirates pounce on Spencer Strider, Braves

Looking to snap their eight-game losing streak against the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates jumped on Cy Young candidate Spencer Strider early and came away with a 7-6 win Monday evening.

The Pirates strung together six runs in the bottom of the third knocking Strider out after two-and-two-thirds innings, marking his shortest outing of the season. Connor Joe opened the frame with a run-scoring groundout, followed by a RBI double by Andrew McCutchen. The remaining four runs came across on a trio of singles from Henry Davis, Jared Triolo and Liover Peguero.

Atlanta fought back for four runs in the top of the fourth, but Joe added another for the Pirates with a solo home run in the bottom half.

Matt Olson singled home a run for the Braves in the fifth to trim the Pirates’ lead to two, then both teams were forced to wait out a rain delay that lasted more than an hour. Afterwards, the Braves tallied one more in the ninth.

Peguero and Triolo each finished the game with a pair of hits while Endy Rodriguez collected a double and a walk.

Carmen Mlodzinski earned the win after throwing one-and-one-thirds innings of shutout relief. Osvaldo Bido started and lasted four innings. He allowed four runs, three earned, while str

Game two of the series is Tuesday night. Mitch Keller toes the rubber for Pittsburgh in search of his first win since June.