Like the Old Days: Cutch and Cole Double Team Colorado 5-2

Despite the passing storms and the Pens pre-game ceremony, the game started pretty well on time. Cole Train had a good opener, giving up a one-out knock and then feeding a 4-6-3 DP to Nolan Arenado to clean it up. Tyler Chatwood held the Bucs to a two-out single by Gregory. The second was a clean frame for Gerrit. J-Bell started with a knock and Cutch hit one sharply up the middle; Chatwood got just enough of it to deflect it to short for a 1-6-3. A two-out Jordy walk didn't help as Cole couldn't cash them in. The Rox got a knock in the third, with Gregory running down a two-out liner to save a run. The Bucs went quietly. It was a calm fourth for Colorado. Freeser singled for the Pirates; J-Bell rolled into a DP. That hurt a little after Cutch sent a curveball into the LF seats to make it 1-0. Both sides have made decent contact so far, but the grass has been hard to find.

Back on track tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Rox used a little fifth-inning two-out lightning with a walk to Trevor Story; he was off on the pitch and a single to left plus a misadventure by Fraze was enough for him to just beat the rap on a play at the plate to tie the score. Jordy has been ablaze. He led off with a double and was bunted up. Runner on third, less than two outs? Of course Fraze looked at strike three. J-Hay did the same, arrrgh! Plz swing the stick. Gerrit put himself in a sixth-inning jam when he couldn't field a dribbler cleanly, then rushed the throw and skipped it past first. But he got himself into the jackpot and then worked his way out of it, making a nice running grab of a short pop to end the frame. Freeser singled with an out for all the Bucco action. With one gone in the seventh, Cole Train walked back-to-back Rox. Clint kept him in and Gerrit made him look good. A grounder moved the runners into the danger zone but a whiff kept them there.

The Bucs secret weapon (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Pirates half worked out better against Adam Ottavino. Jordy singled with an out and jogged home after JJ banged a pinch-hit long ball into the Colorado bullpen. Juan Nicasio took over in the eighth to face the top of the order and sat them down with a couple of K. Jordan Lyles took the hill and a two-out walk to J-Bell cost him. Cutch had the green light on a 3-0 pitch and caught an inside-edge heater, yanking it over the wall in left to build a 5-1 pad for the Buccos. Clint still brought in Felipe Rivero. He walked the first hitter and it hurt; a ground out and single plated the first run he's surrendered in a month. But that was it - raise it again!

Sweet to see Gerrit back; he went back to his fastball-heavy mix and it worked fine. It was also nice to see that he got a win for a good effort; the Pirates were weak at supporting him when he was on fire earlier in the year. Cutch is happening, too and whether that's due to a switch to the six-hole or his Atlanta sit down is immaterial. Welcome back, boys.

Notes:

• Cutch had two hits, both which became souvenirs. Jordy and Freeser, of course, had a pair of raps each with Mercer adding a walk. J-Bell also had a knock and a walk.
• Gerrit Cole's line tonight: seven IP, one run, three hits, three walks & three K's on 100 pitches, a nice bounce-back against one of the league's most talented lineups.
• The bench's nuclear option: JJ's last nine at-bats as pinch-hitter have resulted in six hits with two homers, two doubles and seven RBI (thx @joe_block )
• The Pirates four-game win streak is their longest of the year. 
• Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reports that first-rounder Shane Baz has agreed to sign with the Bucs, with no financials released. It's good to settle with him quickly; now they can budget for the other HS guys they drafted.