Four-run sixth inning leads Pirates to victory, series win over Rockies

PITTSBURGH — After five more quiet innings, Derek Shelton’s club had finally had enough. Once again, it had little to offer against the opposing starting pitcher, tallying just a lone run that came from a weak, well placed ground ball.

But with another series loss on the horizon, the Pirates bats finally woke up.

A four run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning marked the club’s highest scoring inning since April 14. It was also enough to earn them another win, coming out on top by a final score of 5-3 over the Rockies Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.

Perhaps it was fitting that Connor Joe, the club’s most consistent hitter all season, was the one who started the rally. Joe’s lead-off single was followed by a double from Bryan Reynolds, one of his two extra-base hits in the afternoon.

Ke’Bryan Hayes kept the ball rolling with a groundout to short that scored Joe. And with a pivotal run only 90-feet away, Oneil Cruz left down doubt when it came to bringing it home, smashing a 429-foot home run to right center field that landed atop the roof of the Miller Lite patio bar.

Rowdy Tellez nearly followed Cruz’s homer with one of his own, but had to settle for a double once the ball hit just a few feet shy of the top of the Clemente wall. Jack Suwinski, who played hero with a walk-off knock Saturday, brought Tellez in with a single to left field two at-bats later, plating the Pirates’ fifth and final run.

With the lead in hand, relievers Luis Oritz, Aroldis Chapman and David Bednar were able to finish the job. Ortiz was the game’s winning pitcher, improving to 2-1 on the season. Ryan Feltner was the loser, falling to 1-3. Bednar’s save was his sixth on the year.

On the mound

Pirates lefty Bailey Falter continued the club’s long stretch of receiving solid production from the starting rotation, going 5⅓ innings where he allowed three runs, all earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out three. All of Colorado’s damage against Falter came in the top of the second inning, where Jacob Stallings and Sean Bouchard tagged him for back-to-back homers, which accounted for all three of the club’s runs.

At the plate

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