Giants Pummel Pirates 13-5
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Hunter Pence drove in four runs and the San Francisco Giants pounced on Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole for seven runs then added six more against the bullpen to rout the Pirates 13-5 on Friday night.
Leadoff man Denard Span went 4 for 5 with a home run and scored four times, Joe Panik went 3 for 5 with a run and an RBI and Pence went 3 for 4 as the top of the Giants' lineup erupted offensively.
Trailing by a run entering the fourth, the Giants rattled off five straight hits in that inning to score three runs, then added five more on four hits in the sixth. Buster Posey and Brandon Belt each had two-run doubles in that rally. Belt added a solo homer in the eighth and finished with four RBIs.
Johny Cueto (6-7) fought through seven hits to get the win. After giving up three runs in the first, he settled down to hold the Pirates scoreless over his final four innings.
Cole (6-7) had seven strikeouts but gave up 10 hits. He dealt with an elevated pitch count all night and took 114 to get through 5 1/3 innings.
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