MIAMI (AP) — After a week of pedestrian run totals, the Pittsburgh Pirates used an early offensive explosion to put themselves into position to win a fourth straight series.
Gerrit Cole would certainly appreciate if those bats have a bit more left in them.
Cole takes his sixth crack at what’s become an elusive 15th victory Thursday night as he tries to help the visiting Pirates win three of four from the Miami Marlins.
Pittsburgh (76-49) totaled 27 runs over its previous seven games before riding a six-run second inning to Wednesday’s 7-2 win. Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer in the second after a run-scoring double in the first, his fourth consecutive multihit game and seventh in his last nine, and he boosted his major league-leading average with runners in scoring position.