Pirates Pound Rox 10-2, Even Series

Starling, who had a pair of balls hauled in at the track yesterday, got the Partay started with a 453' solo launch off Chad Bettis. Jamo had a clean start. It was a quiet second for Pittsburgh. Nolan Arenado opened with a double up the line but no damage resulted. Jordy singled to leadoff the third and died at first. The Rox started with a knock and a bunt to move him up, but he went no further. Gregory walked to kick off the fourth after being in an 0-2 hole. A Freeser rap and one-out walk to Amore jammed the bases. J-Hay lofted a sac fly, then Jordy slammed a fat first pitch heater 443' into the seats to make it 5-0. Jamo shut the Rox down in their half. Three straight singles from the top of the order added another point, Cargo robbed Freeser's try for a fourth consecutive knock, but it still worked out as a sac fly. Cervy doubled with two away to chase Gregory home and bring Jake McGee to the bump. It didn't help; J-Hay hit a big fly 421' and it was 10-0 before the final out was had. Jamo gave up a one-out walk that was rectified by a comebacker DP.

Starling loves to partay at Coors (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

The Pirates went down in order in the sixth, not so Colorado. Back-to-back one-out knocks and a Cargo double put a pair of markers up for the Rox. Bryan Shaw worked the seventh, giving up just a Red Beard rap. The Rockies kept chipping away with a ground ball single and an opp field flare off a shoe top slider, but an around the horn DP and fly thwarted the rally. Yency Almonte answered the eighth inning bell and fanned a pair in a 1-2-3 frame. A seeing-eye single caused Jamo no sweat. Almonte picked up a couple of more K in the ninth; the 24-year-old has a nasty slider and 96 MPH heat even if he's a bit wild. The Rocky Mountain gang opened with a knock for the third straight frame; the first inning was Jameson's only clean inning. An out later, a looper into left put Rox at first and second, but Jamo put it bed after that to get a 107-pitch, complete game win. RTJR!

That sound you hear is Joe Musgrove smacking his head and wondering why he couldn't have gotten a couple of those runs last game. Tonight, the top of the order came through for Taillon with four hits and a walk, and that group is the team's spark plug. Now to take the series tomorrow afternoon...

Notes:

• Every starting Pirates position hitter had a hit, with Starling and Jordy collecting a pair of knocks. Marte, Mercer and J-Hay homered while six guys had at least an RBI and run scored in a textbook balanced attack.
• This was JT's second complete game of the season, the first two of his career.
• Jordan Luplow replaced Corey D in the ninth after a foul off Dickerson's foot; we'll see how that aching doggy acts tomorrow.
• Indy's Kevin Newman and Jacob Stallings both hit for the cycle tonight in a 12-5 Tribe victory. More good news: RHP JT Brubaker was named the International League's Pitcher of the Week after he went 1-0/0.60 (1 ER/15.0 IP) in two road starts.