Pirates starter Ivan Nova was pegged for a season-high seven earned runs, five of which were the byproduct of pitches he left up in the zone. Not a trademark swing-and-miss pitcher -- he carried a 8.2 percent rate entering Sunday, sixth-lowest in MLB (min. 1,500 pitches thrown) -- Nova still managed five strikeouts to go with just one walk. But the nine hits he allowed over five-plus innings proved costly.
Freeland turned in his seventh quality start at Coors Field in his ninth try, giving up just two earned runs in six innings with three strikeouts and two walks over a sizable 108 pitches to lower his home ERA to 3.