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Pirates Take Down Rockies, 10-2

Pittsburgh Pirates' Sean Rodriguez (3) celebrates with David Freese after hitting a two-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH — David Freese stressed the need of a culture change inside the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse during spring training, one that focused more on creating a greater sense of urgency and accountability when things go awry.

Given a rare start with his club facing the prospect of getting swept by Colorado, Freese backed up his words with his bat. The veteran third baseman worked a two-out walk in the fourth to start a rally and added a two-run double as the Pirates had little trouble with the Rockies in a 10-2 win on Wednesday.

Pirates manager gave regulars Corey Dickerson, Gregory Polanco and Colin Moran the day off.

Their replacements — Freese, left fielder Sean Rodriguez and second baseman Max Moroff — drove in five of Pittsburgh’s 10 runs as the Pirates improved to 8-0 in day games.

“You have your everyday guys getting a little breather, you want to take pride in stepping up and make it seem like a seamless transition when your everyday guys get a break,” Freese said. “Me, Sean and Max got in there and today was a day we kind of showed up and kept it going.”

Josh Bell drove in three runs and Adam Frazier had three of Pittsburgh’s 13 hits as the NL Central leaders broke out after being limited to just two runs in their previous two games against the Rockies.

“It breeds confidence on the bench,” Bell said. “It breeds confidence with guys coming in in different situations.”

Chad Kuhl (2-1) surrendered Chris Iannetta’s solo home run in the third but otherwise kept Colorado’s struggling offense in check. He labored at times through the first five innings but finished with a flourish, retiring the Rockies in order in the sixth to cap his longest start of the season.

“I looked up and saw I had 87 pitches (after five),” Kuhl said. “All I focused on was make these (final pitches) count.”

Kyle Freeland (0-3) cruised through the first three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth. Freese worked a two-out walk off and Rodriguez followed with a shot that just cleared the wall in left field for his second home run this season. Max Moroff added an RBI double two batters later to put the Pirates up 3-1.

Freeland was pulled in favor of Scott Oberg after giving up singles to Frazier and Jordy Mercer starting the fifth. Oberg couldn’t get out of the jam, surrendering an RBI single to Bell. Freese followed with a double to the gap in left-center.

Freeland was charged with five runs, six hits and two walks in four-plus innings, needing 91 pitches to get 12 outs.

“I wasn’t getting ahead of hitters and I didn’t have a good feel for my fastball, especially the sinker,” Freeland said. “It just wasn’t there.”

OFFENSIVE WOES

Colorado went 5-2 on a swing through Washington and Pittsburgh, thanks in large part to its pitching. The offense has struggled while third baseman Nolan Arenado served a five-game suspension for his role in a brawl with San Diego earlier this month. Colorado entered last in the NL in batting (.215) and didn’t improve against Kuhl and two relievers.

The Rockies had just two extra base hits on Wednesday, or one more than newly acquired Pittsburgh reliever Enny Romero, who doubled in the eighth in his second big league at-bat.

CARGO EXITS

Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez tweaked his right hamstring in the fourth while making a diving catch on a sinking liner by Pittsburgh’s Starling Marte. Gerardo Parra replaced Gonzalez in the fifth. Manager Bud Black called the move precautionary. Gonzalez said it was the first time in years he’s felt pain in his hamstring and isn’t certain if he’ll be available when the Rockies begin a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

METS 11

NATIONALS 5

NEW YORK (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes launched a grand slam during a nine-run outburst in the eighth inning that rallied the New York Mets past the Washington Nationals, preventing a three-game sweep.

Todd Frazier tied it at 4 with a two-run single and pinch-hitter Juan Lagares put New York ahead for the first time with a two-run double off ineffective setup man Ryan Madson (0-2).

Shut down by Tanner Roark for seven innings, the first-place Mets broke loose in the eighth and improved to 13-4 with a stirring victory against their NL East rivals.

Ryan Zimmerman homered twice, tripled and drove in four runs for the Nationals, who pulled off their own big comeback in the eighth inning of the series opener.

AJ Ramos (1-1) worked a perfect inning for his first win with the Mets since being acquired from Miami last July.

ATHLETICS 12, WHITE SOX 11, 14 INNINGS

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Olson singled over left fielder Nicky Delmonico to drive in Marcus Semien with two outs in the 14th inning and Oakland beat Chicago in a wild game that lasted nearly six hours.

The A’s trailed 6-1, 9-4 and 10-8, then gave up a tying run in the ninth before scoring the winning run off James Shields (1-1) five innings later.

The teams combined for 33 hits and 18 walks –12 by Chicago pitchers — in a game that lasted 5 hours and 48 minutes. It was the third-longest game by time in Oakland Athletics history.

Semien singled with two outs in the 14th and stole second. After Shields walked Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis, Olson lined an 0-1 pitch deep to left, and Delmonico watched it go over his head.

Lou Trivino (1-0) pitched three innings for his first major league win.

TIGERS 6, ORIOLES 5

DETROIT (AP) — Dixon Machado led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run, capping a wild final two innings and lifting Detroit over Baltimore.

Detroit led 2-1 before each team scored three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. Baltimore’s Luis Sardinas tied it with a solo shot off Shane Greene (1-0) in the top of the ninth, but then Machado hit a line drive off Pedro Araujo (1-2) that cleared the fence in left field for only the second homer of the infielder’s big league career.

Miguel Cabrera went deep on his 35th birthday, and Jeimer Candelario and John Hicks also homered for Detroit. Hicks hit a three-run shot in the eighth that put the Tigers up 5-4.

BREWERS 2, REDS 0

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee center fielder Christian Yelich returned from the disabled list and made a snazzy sliding catch on a fly ball that deflected off the glove of left fielder Hernan Perez, and the Brewers beat Cincinnati.

Zach Davies allowed three hits over 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time in four starts this season, and Eric Thames hit a two-run homer.

Davies (1-2) struck out two, walked two and hit a batter, lowering his ERA from 6.75 to 4.84. Jacob Barnes finished with two hitless innings for his second save as the Brewers won consecutive home games for the first time this season.

Thames homered on a slider from Tyler Mahle (1-3) in the third inning, his team-leading seventh home run and 12th against the Reds in two seasons.

BLUE JAYS 15, ROYALS 5

TORONTO (AP) — Teoscar Hernandez had four hits, including a two-run home run, Curtis Granderson hit his ninth career grand slam and Toronto routed Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep of the Royals, losers of eight straight.

Granderson’s slam, which came off Justin Grimm, was the big blow in a six-run eighth. Toronto set season highs with 15 runs and 15 hits.

Toronto (12-5) is off to its best start since 2009.

J.A. Happ (3-1) allowed five hits and four runs in six innings to win his third straight start as the Blue Jays won their fourth straight and eighth of nine.

After losing its first two home games of the season, Toronto has won seven of eight at Rogers Centre. The Jays have outscored opponents 67-40 in 10 home games.

Toronto has won 12 of its past 15 home meetings with Kansas City.

Kansas City’s Ian Kennedy (1-2) allowed six runs, four earned, and eight hits in five innings.

BRAVES 7, PHILLIES 3

ATLANTA (AP) — Ryan Flaherty homered and drove in four runs, Brandon McCarthy outpitched Vince Velasquez and Atlanta beat Philadelphia.

McCarthy (3-0) allowed one run and five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Flaherty’s three-run homer off Velasquez (1-2) in the fifth gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead. The Phillies got within one in the seventh before Dansby Swanson’s homer off Edubray Ramos in the bottom of the inning put Atlanta ahead 4-2. Flaherty added a run-scoring single in the Braves’ three-run eighth.

Velasquez allowed three runs in six innings.

RAYS 4, RANGERS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jake Faria won for the first time since last July 25, allowing one run over six innings to lead Tampa Bay over the Cole Hamels and Texas.

Faria (1-1) struck out six and walked one. He had been 0-4 in eight starts and two relief appearances since beating Baltimore.

Hamels (1-3) gave up two hits through five scoreless innings before the Rays rallied to take a 3-1 in the sixth. Denard Span’s RBI double with one out in the seventh chased Hamels, who allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Alex Colome got his fourth save despite allowing Drew Robinson’s RBI single in the ninth.

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