Jack Suwinski hit two homers and drove in three runs to power the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 in Denver on Tuesday.
The Pirates won a second straight game for the first time since April 7, breaking a string of 11 games in which they had alternated wins and losses. They have won 10 of their past 15 games.
The Rockies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Kris Bryant hit his second homer in as many days, lining a first-pitch fastball from Vince Velasquez into the left-center-field bleachers. C.J. Cron had an infield single and Ryan McMahon doubled before catcher Elias Diaz drove both in with a two-out double on a 3-2 pitch.
The Pirates got one back in the second inning, on Suwinski’s opposite-field homer to left off Rockies right-hander Jose Urena (0-3), who gave up five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Urena struck out two and walked two.
In the top of the fourth, Pittsburgh put four on the scoreboard. Back-to-back doubles by Connor Joe and Carlos Santana preceded Suwinski’s second homer of the game, a 434-foot shot to right-center. Tucupita Marcano capped the scoring in the inning when he tripled to center and scored on Urena’s wild pitch for a 5-3 lead.
Suwinski now has four homers for the Pirates. He hit one Monday off Colorado infielder Alan Trejo, who was pitching in Pittsburgh’s 14-3 blowout win in the series opener.
On Tuesday, Velasquez (2-2) walked three and struck out seven in six innings. He was charged with three runs on five hits. It was the eighth straight time a Pittsburgh starting pitcher lasted six innings.
Pirates relievers Duane Underwood Jr. and Robert Stephenson each gave up a pair of hits in scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, pitching out of trouble to hold onto the lead before handing things over to closer David Bednar.
Bednar, facing the top of the Colorado order, took a line drive off the thigh while retiring Rockies leadoff man Jurickson Profar. Bednar got Bryant to ground out to second, then gave up a double to Charlie Blackmon before striking out Cron for his fifth save.
–Field Level Media
