Pirates Roll Behind Cole’s Three-Hitter
By JOHN PERROTTO
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Gerrit Cole pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game and slumping Andrew McCutchen had a three-run home run among his three hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.
Making the 88th start of his four-year career, Cole (6-6) struck six and walked one while winning for the first time since May 20. He had gone six starts without a victory while also spending nearly five weeks on the disabled list with strained right triceps from June 11-July 16.
Cole threw 94 pitches, 70 for strikes, becoming the first Pirates pitcher to complete a game with fewer than 100 pitches since Francisco Liriano, who also needed just 94 at St. Louis on Aug. 14, 2013.
McCutchen’s three-run blast off David Rollins came in the eighth inning and capped the scoring. His 15th home run of the season pushed the nine-year veteran’s career total to 166, tying Dave Parker for fifth on the Pirates’ all-time list.
McCutchen had gone 4 for 29 with eight strikeouts in his previous seven games, dropping the 2013 NL MVP’s batting average to .241.
McCutchen and Jung Ho Kang, who hit a three-run double to finish a four-run seventh inning, each had four RBIs to help the Pirates win for the sixth time in nine games. Jordy Mercer also had three of the Pirates’ 14 hits and David Freese added two as the top three in the order went a combined 8 for 14.
Kang greeted reliever Nathan Karns with his double that pushed the Pirates’ lead to 7-1.
Kang also hit a sacrifice fly off James Paxton (3-5) to finish a three-run third inning that broke a scoreless tie. Josh Harrison hit a leadoff triple and scored on Mercer’s double before McCutchen’s RBI single.
Paxton gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.
Drew Storen made his Mariners debut and was charged with four runs in a 1 1/3 innings a night after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade for fellow reliever Joaquin Benoit.
Storen retired the side in order in the sixth inning but was pulled after walking Starling Marte to force in a run with the bases loaded in the seventh.
Norichika Aoki hit a pair of doubles and scored the Mariners’ lone run in the sixth inning on Robinson Cano’s sacrifice fly. Seattle had won five of its previous seven games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: DH/OF Nelson Cruz was not in the lineup after fouling a ball off his left foot Tuesday night, though manager Scott Servais said he held the slugger out primarily because the designated hitter rule was not in effect in an NL park. … RHP Taijuan Walker (right foot tendinitis) pitched a three-inning simulated game Wednesday, the first time he had faced hitters since going on the disabled list July 6, and will likely make a minor league rehab start this weekend. … RHP Nick Vincent (mid-back strain), on the DL since June 27, will throw off a mound for the first time Friday since being injured and is likely to go on a rehab assignment next week.
Pirates: RHP Tyler Glasnow (shoulder inflammation), who was placed on the disabled list Sunday, is expected to begin playing catch this weekend. … C Chris Stewart (left knee discomfort) ran the bases Wednesday for the first since going on the DL on July 2 and could go on a rehab assignment by the middle of next week. … RHP Ryan Vogelsong (facial fractures) made what was scheduled to be the last of two rehab starts for Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday night and allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings against Gwinett with one walk and two strikeouts in the International League. He also started twice for Double-A Altoona.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Open a three-game series against the Cubs at Chicago on Friday with RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (11-6, 3.96 ERA) looking to win his sixth straight start as he faces LHP Jon Lester (10-4, 3.09).
Pirates: Begin a three-game series Friday night at Milwaukee with LHP Steven Brault (0-1, 2.25) expected to be recalled from Indianapolis and make his second major league start, opposing Brewers RHP Junior Guerra (6-2, 2.85).
NATIONALS 4
INDIANS 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Stephen Strasburg shut down Cleveland for seven innings and bounced back from his only loss this season, leading Washington past the Indians.
Strasburg (14-1) began the season with 13 straight wins before he was beaten by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 21. The powerful right-hander shook off that blemish, holding the Indians to three hits. Strasburg walked one and struck out seven.
Washington rookie Trea Turner drove in three runs and Daniel Murphy hit his 20th homer off Carlos Carrasco (7-4). Murphy extended his hitting streak to 13 games with the towering shot.
Nationals reliever Blake Treinen stopped Cleveland’s threat in the ninth, getting a game-ending double play for his first major league save.
REDS 2, GIANTS 1
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jay Bruce homered in his career-high fifth straight game, connecting off Madison Bumgarner in the Cincinnati Reds’ victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants.
Bruce broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with his sixth homer during his five-game streak and 25th of the season.
The NL West-leading Giants got just four hits and lost for the ninth time in 11 games since the All-Star break. The last-place Reds are 8-4 over that stretch.
Dan Straily Straily (6-6) gave up three hits in 7 2/3 innings, and Tony Cingrani pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.
Bumgarner (10-6) allowed one earned run and five hits in eight innings, striking out nine. The Giants have lost six of his last eight starts.
Conor Gillaspie hit a solo homer for the Giants in the second. San Francisco left fielder Angel Pagan dropped a flyball in the fifth, setting up Tucker Barnhart’s tying sacrifice fly.
CARDINALS 5, METS 4
NEW YORK (AP) — Yadier Molina and pinch-hitter Kolten Wong each had an RBI double in the ninth inning, and St. Louis rallied past New York to end Jeurys Familia’s saves streak at 52 games.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead homer off Adam Wainwright to cap a three-run comeback in the seventh that gave the Mets a 4-3 lead. But then Familia, who hadn’t blown a regular-season save opportunity since July 30 last year, finally faltered.
RAYS 3, DODGERS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Moore pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays won at Dodger Stadium for the first time.
Luke Maile had an RBI double in a three-run fourth inning to help Tampa Bay wrap up a nine-game West Coast road swing by snapping a four-game skid. The Rays were swept in a three-game series at Chavez Ravine in 2013, the only other time they’ve visited the Dodgers’ hallowed home turf.
TIGERS 4, RED SOX 3
BOSTON (AP) — Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning that bounced off the top of the wall and into Boston’s bullpen, lifting Detroit past the Red Sox for a three-game sweep.
James McCann also hit a solo homer, and Victor Martinez had four singles, a walk and drove in two runs for Detroit. The Tigers have won five of seven.
Boston is the last major league team to be swept in a series of any length this season.
ROCKIES 3, ORIOLES 1
BALTIMORE (AP) — Nick Hundley broke up Dylan Bundy’s no-hit bid with a sixth-inning homer, and Colorado used a strong pitching performance by Jon Gray to beat Baltimore.
David Dahl hit his first major league home run in his third game for the Rockies. Colorado took two of three from the AL East leaders, has won six of seven and is 9-4 since the All-Star break.
Manny Machado connected for the Orioles.
ATHLETICS 6, RANGERS 4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Khris Davis homered twice, Coco Crisp also went deep and Oakland beat AL West-leading Texas.
Oakland has won four consecutive series for the first time since May 2014. The A’s are 9-4 since the All-Star break.
MARLINS 11
PHILLIES 1
MIAMI (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first inning to lead a 16-hit attack in Miami’s victory over Philadelphia.
PADRES 8, BLUE JAYS 4
TORONTO (AP) — Adam Rosales hit a two-run home run, Alex Dickerson and Brett Wallace each hit solo shots and San Diego beat Toronto to avoid a three-game sweep.
ASTROS 4, YANKEES 1
HOUSTON (AP) — Lance McCullers struck out 10 in six innings, Colby Rasmus broke out of a slump with a two-run homer and Houston beat New York.
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