Rockies Comeback Attempt In Pittsburgh Falls Short
PITTSBURGH (The Sports Xchange) - Josh Harrison drove in two runs with a pair of singles, first baseman Mark Reynolds' two-base throwing error scored two more runs during Pittsburgh's four-run third and the Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 Monday.
The Pirates won for the ninth time in 10 games against the Rockies in a makeup of a Sunday rainout in which the two teams unsuccessfully waited nearly four hours to play.
The Pirates got a major scare during the win -- their sixth in eight games -- when right-hander Ryan Vogelsong was struck near the left eye by a Jordan Lyles pitch during a two-run Pittsburgh second. A bloodied Vogelsong left the field on a cart, holding a towel to his face, but there was no immediate update on his status.
Pirates relievers Wilfredo Boscan, Neftali Feliz, Tony Watson, Jared Hughes and Mark Melancon held the slumping Rockies to three runs and five hits over the final seven innings. Melancon got the final two outs for his 15th save despite yielding DJ LeMahieu's sacrifice fly.
The right-handed Boscan (1-0), in only his second major league appearance, pitched four innings, giving up Charlie Blackmon's two-run double in the fifth with the Pirates already up 6-0.
Pittsburgh quickly jumped on Lyles, who gave up four earned runs and five hits and walked three in his fifth ineffective start this season. He rejoined the team from the minors only on Friday.
Lyles' wildness and inability to hold runners on base hurt him in the second, when the Pirates scored twice on Harrison's RBI single, a Lyles wild pitch, stolen bases by Harrison and Starling Marte and the hit-by-pitch of Vogelsong that came with the bases loaded.
The Pirates chased Lyles in the third following singles by Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco, another stolen base -- by Polanco -- a walk, another Harrison RBI single and Reynolds' throwing error as he tried to get McCutchen at the plate on Francisco Cervelli's grounder. Both McCutchen and Polanco scored on the play.
Left-hander Chris Rusin replaced Lyles and pitched two-hit ball over 4 2/3 shutout innings, but the Rockies still lost their fourth in five games overall and their 12th in their last 13 against Pittsburgh.
Home plate umpire Jeff Nelson also left the game after apparently getting debris in his left eye during a play at the plate in the third inning. The three remaining umpires finished the game.
NOTES: Pirates SS Jordy Mercer and 3B Jung Ho Kang each got a second successive day off -- neither was in the lineup for Sunday's rained-out game. Manager Clint Hurdle said the plan was to give them two days off in a row, and that didn't change with the rainout. ... Pirates RHP Juan Nicasio will make his next start on schedule, Hurdle said, rather than being pushed up despite pitching only one inning Sunday. However, Rockies RHP Chad Bettis will move up and start Wednesday at Boston. RHP Jon Gray moves back to Thursday against the Red Sox, and RHP Eddie Butler starts Friday at home against San Francisco. ... Rockies manager Walt Weiss was back Monday after returning to Denver on Sunday for son Bo's graduation from Regis Jesuit High School -- a road trip within a road trip for Weiss. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (0.53) and the Cubs' Jake Arrieta (0.97) are the only major league starters with road ERAs under 1.00.
