Gerrit Cole improves to an NL best 9-2 with a 1.73 ERA on the season

In what’s becoming the norm, the Pirates got another dominant start from Gerrit Cole even though he didn’t have his best command in a 3-0 shutout win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon.

Cole’s day — 7 IP, 6 hits, 0 ER, 7 SO, 3 BB —

Cole threw a career high 116 pitches, 74 for strikes.

Improving to 9-2 with a 1.73 ERA on the season, Cole threw seven scoreless innings for his fourth straight win as Pirate starters have wins in 16 straight Pirate wins.

Cole’s ability to escape tough jams has been a staple of his season. He escaped a bases loaded jam in the third inning by striking out Nick Markakis and getting Juan Uribe to ground out for the final out in the inning. In the sixth, Cole would escape another bases loaded jam by striking out Joey Terdoslavich. Hitters are 0-7 against Cole this season with the bases loaded.

Cole this afternoon became the first Pirates pitcher since Emil Yde in 1924-25 with 30 wins in 53 or less career starts.