Another quiet night at the plate results in Pirates' 3-2 loss to Rockies

PITTSBURGH — It’s not often that a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning feels like a dagger. Then again, the current slump of Derek Shelton’s offense is far from common.

The Pirates' silence at the plate continued into the weekend, failing to tally a run until the bottom of the ninth inning en route to a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night at PNC Park. The defeat marked their fifth straight and 14th in their last 17 contests.

As has been the case numerous times in recent weeks, the Pirates received a strong effort from their starting pitcher. Veteran left-hander Martin Perez gave his club five shutout innings before heading back out for the sixth.

A solo home run from Ryan McMahon served as his first mistake of the day. Bud Black’s club tallied two more runs off Perez in that frame for good measure, thanks to RBI singles from Elehuris Montero and Brendan Rodgers, which would prove to be valuable later on.

Rockies starter Cal Quantrill, who entered the game with an 0-3 record and 5.34 ERA, had no issues against the Pirates lineup, delivering 7 1/3 dominant innings where he surrendered just three hits and a hit batter. The 29-year-old righty struck out nine and walked none in his first victory of the season.

Jake Bird came in to finish the eighth inning for Quantrill, striking out Andrew McCutchen with runners on first and second. Jalen Beeks surrendered a two-run home run to Oneil Cruz in the bottom of the ninth to make the contest seem close. But with bases clear, Beeks finished the job, recording his first save of the season.

On the mound

Perez’s final line was 5 1/3 innings, allowing the three earned runs on eight hits while striking out four. The veteran southpaw relied heavily upon his sinker, which for 42% of his pitches.

At the plate

Cruz’s homer ended a 22-inning scoreless streak for Shelton’s club. Prior to his blast, the Pirates had just three hits.