Jared Jones, Relievers Smacked Around in 16-4 Loss to Rockies
Jared Jones’ second career start against the Colorado Rockies did not go nearly as well as his first.
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander was roughed up for six runs in 4.2 innings on Saturday night in a 16-4 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. The Pirates (33-37) have lost three of their last four games.
Jones threw seven shutout innings against the Rockies on May 4 in Pittsburgh, striking out 10 and allowing only one hit in a no-decision.
It wasn’t so easy this time as the Pirates’ five-game winning streak in Denver was snapped.
Jones (4-6) allowed six hits and four walks while striking out six.
Nick Gonzales and Andrew McCutchen hit solo home runs for the Pirates, but it wasn’t enough. McCutchen notched his 2,100th career hit and homered at Coors Field for the fifth consecutive game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Joey Votto and the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve are the only active major-leaguers with more hits.
Gonzales had two hits and two RBIs. Yasmani Grandal also had two hits, though that was offset by an embarrassing defensive mistake that allowed the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon to have a straight of steal standing up.
Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a two-hit night.
The Rockies’ Hunter Goodman went 4 for 5 with two home runs, a double, five RBIs and three runs scored. Michael Toglia hit a grand slam and Jake Cave had three hits and three RBIs.
The Rockies (25-45) had 10 extra-base hits after losing four of their previous five games.
Ty Blach (3-4) gave up two runs in 5.2 innings.
Goodman hit a leadoff home run off Jones in the third to begin the scoring and the Pirates countered with a solo shot by Gonzales to tie it at 1-1 an inning later.
The Rockies then scored three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 6-1 lead and chase Jones.
Cave hit a two-run double in the fourth and scored on Goodman’s double. Elehuris Montero lofted a sacrifice fly in the fifth and the Rockies scored another run when Ryan McMahon stole home after Grandal lobbed a throw to Jones following a pitch.
Grandal tried to atone for his mistake in the sixth with an RBI single that chased Blach and drew the Pirates to 6-2. However, former Pirates reliever Geoff Hartlieb came on and got Jared Triolo to hit an inning-ending foul out with the bases loaded.
The Rockies got the run back in the bottom of the sixth on Ezequiel Tovar’s RBI single.
The Pirates drew within 7-4 with a two-run seventh that included McCutchen’s homer and Gonzales’ RBI grounder. However, the Rockies scored three runs in the bottom of the inning as Cave singled in a run and Goodman blasted a two-run homer off Justin Bruihl.
Dennis Santana made his Pirates’ debut by pitching the eighth inning and was tagged for five runs when Tovar and McMahon hit back-to-back doubles to plate one run before Toglia hit his grand slam and Goodman added an RBI single.
The Pirates claimed Santana off waivers on Tuesday from the New York Yankees.
UP NEXT
The rubber game of the three-game series is at 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday. The Pirates have not decided on a starter while RHP Dakota Hudson (2-8, 4.87) will pitch for the Rockies.
More about: Pirates