Pirates pound Hamels, Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Pittsburgh Pirates put an end to Texas Rangers starter Cole Hamels' winning streak in resounding fashion Friday.
The Pirates scored six times off Hamels (5-1) in 4 2/3 innings on their way to a 9-1 victory. It was the first loss for Hamels since last Aug. 7, his second start with the Rangers.
Pittsburgh led 1-0 before scoring five times in the fifth to break the game open. A throwing error by Texas first baseman on a potential double-play ball put runners on second and third with no outs. Andrew McCutchen and David Freese followed with RBI singles to make it 3-0 and designated hitter Jung Ho Kang followed the Freese at-bat with a three-run homer to right to push the Pittsburgh lead to 6-0.
That was plenty of offense for left-hander Jonathan Niese (5-3), who carried a shutout into the sixth inning before Adrian Beltre hit a solo homer. Niese allowed one run in six innings, striking out two and giving up seven hits.
Hamels was rocked for six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh had eight hits off him while he also walked two and hit two batters.
The Pirates finished with 14 hits, including four home runs. Starling Marte put the Pirates up 1-0 with a homer off Hamels in the second inning and McCutchen added a solo homer in the sixth. Gregory Polanco capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the ninth.
Freese and Marte each had three hits. The Rangers had 10 hits, with Beltre, Nomar Mazara and Boby Wilson each collecting two hits.
After taking a 1-0 lead on Marte's homer in the second inning, the Pirates blew things open against Hamels with five runs in the fifth.
Mitch Moreland's error on a potential double-play grounder put Pirates at second and third with no outs and McCutchen followed with an RBI single.
That started a run parade as Freese hit a run-scoring single to left to make it 3-0 and Kang cleared the bases with a three-run homer to right.
Hamels, who came into the contest with a 12-game regular-season winning streak, was done after allowing six runs in 4 2/3 innings.
NOTES: The Rangers recalled 2B Jurickson Profar from Triple-A Round Rock to make up for the loss of suspended 2B Rougned Odor, who will miss seven games for his role in the May 15 incident against Toronto. To make room for Profar, the club placed RHP Shawn Tolleson on the family medical emergency list. ...The matchup against Pittsburgh was the first for Texas manager Jeff Banister, who was the bench coach for the Pirates before getting the managing job in Texas before the 2015 season. ...Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison has four career game-winning pinch-hit RBIs after collecting No. 4 in Thursday's 8-3 win over Arizona. It's the most for a Pittsburgh player since Orlando Merced collected his fourth in 1996. ...Texas C Robinson Chirinos, who has been on the disabled list since April 10 with a right forearm fracture, will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Frisco. He's expected to be activated June 9 when he is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list. ...Through his first 39 games, Texas OF Nomar Mazara collected 48 hits. That's the most in that span in franchise history.