PIRATES 10 – BREWERS 3
Win: Gerrit Cole (4-0)
Loss: John Hellweg (0-1)
Save: Ryan Reid (1)
Gerrit Cole (4-0, 3.70 ERA) and the Pittsburgh Pirates boast the best record in baseball at 49-30. Pittsburgh overcame a three run first inning by the Milwaukee Brewers, to score seven runs in the second inning, en route to a 10-3 rout over the Brewers on Friday night in front of 36,875 fans at PNC Park.
Cole won his fourth straight start, allowing three runs in the first and then threw five shutout innings afterwards. Cole went 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, 3 runs, while striking out 3 and walking 3. It wasn’t a spectacular outing from Cole, but how he rebounded from giving up three runs in the first was a positive sign for the rookie pitcher who has shown great composure in four starts in not getting rattled at the first sign of adversity.
“”It’s really a team effort,” Cole said of Friday night’s win “I’ve pitched pretty well, but I’ve gotten a lot of support defensively and our offense has been very opportunistic. It feels good to say I’m 4-0, but it feels even better because the team is playing well.”
The Pirates winners of seven straight, have the best record in baseball after June 28th for the first time since 1991.
The Pirates erupted for seven runs in the second inning to break the game wide open.

Scoring Summary: 

  • 2nd Inning: Neil Walker (.254 – 6 HR – 25 RBI) doubled to right center, scoring Garrett Jones and Pedro Alvarez (3-2 Brewers)
  • 2nd Inning: Starling Marte (.287 – 8 HR – 26 RBI) singled to right, scoring Neil Walker (3-3);
  • 2nd Inning: Russell Martin (.244 – 8 HR – 29 RBI) grounded into fielder’s choice to center, scoring Travis Snider and Gerrit Cole (5-3 Pirates)
  • 2nd Inning: Andrew McCutchen (.293 – 9 HR – 41 RBI) reached on infield single to shortstop, scoring Starling Marte (6-3 Pirates)
  • 2nd Inning: Pedro Alvarez (.246 – 19 HR – 52 RBI) singled to left, scoring Russell Martin (7-3 Pirates). Alvarez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two hit game and Alvarez has multi-hit games in six of his last seven games.
  • 3rd  Inning: Starling Marte pushed the Pirates lead to 8-3 in the third inning with an RBI double. Marte went 3-5 in the game with 2 RBIs.
  • Andrew McCutchen added the Pirates final two runs in the game, an RBI double in the sixth and a solo home run in the eighth. McCutchen had three hits and drove in three runs in the win.
TOP 5 RECORDS IN BASEBALL
1. Pittsburgh Pirates (49-30)
2. Boston Red Sox (49-33)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (48-31)
4. Texas Rangers (47-33)
5. Oakland A’s (47-34)