Pirates 6, Rockies 1
DENVER -- Matt Joyce hit a three-run home run and Jeff Locke pitched six scoreless innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-1 on Monday night.
Joyce highlighted Pittsburgh's four-run seventh with a drive over the left-center field fence off Scott Oberg that gave the Pirates a 5-0 lead. The Pirates took a 6-1 lead in the eighth on Josh Harrison's two-out single.
After Pittsburgh's bullpen was used for seven innings in Sunday's 12-10, 13-inning win at Arizona, Locke allowed five hits. He struck out eight, walked two and threw 106 pitches.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss was ejected in the fourth by home plate umpire Lance Barrett, who tossed Ryan Raburn two innings later. Both ejections came after called third strikes, as the Rockies questioned Barrett's judgment throughout the game.
The Rockies went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.
The Pirates scored their first run of the seventh on a wild pitch by Rockies starter Chad Bettis (2-1) with two outs and runners on first and third.
Bettis threw a career-high 114 pitches, recorded 15 outs on ground balls and allowed six hits but was charged with four runs, thanks to Oberg's misstep.
After Locke left, the Rockies broke through against Rob Scahill, who began his career in the Colorado organization. Singles by D.J. LeMahieu and pinch-hitter Cristian Adames put runners at first and third and Colorado scored when Gerardo Parra grounded into a force play.
With two outs, Scahill walked Carlos Gonzalez and gave way to A.J. Schugel, who grew up in the Denver area. He got Nolan Arenado to pop out and worked the final 2 1/3 innings to earn his first major league save.
The Pirates broke through for the first run of the game in the fifth. Harrison was hit by a pitch to open the inning, took third on Jordy Mercer's single and scored on John Jaso's groundout.
Locke pitched out of trouble in the bottom of the inning. Two singles and a sacrifice put runners on first and third, but Locke struck out Trevor Story and retired Carlos Gonzalez on a fly out.
Nolan Arenado and Ryan Rayburn were called out on strikes in succession to end the first with runners on first and second, and both players left the batter's box unhappy with Barrett's strike zone. The same was true of LeMahieu when Barrett rang him up in the second with one out and a runner on third.
NOTES: The game was delayed by rain for 30 minutes in the bottom of the second inning. ...Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque one day after he allowed seven runs (five earned) on five hits and five walks in 2 2/3 innings. Lyles is 1-1 with a 7.64 ERA in four starts with the Rockies. ...Rockies LHP Chris Rusin, who has been pitching in long relief, will start Friday at Arizona, taking the rotation spot of Jordan Lyles. ...Rockies C Nick Hundley (concussion) was activated, and C Dustin Garneau was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ...Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen was not in the lineup. He is 3-for-23 (.130) in his past five games. He started the Pirates' previous 19 games and played 16 in their entirety, including Sunday's 13-inning win at Arizona that lasted 5 hours, 25 minutes. ...Pirates 1B Sean Rodriguez, who starts against left-handed pitchers and, hence, is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday, has reached base safely 15 times in his first 30 plate appearances this season.