DENVER (AP) — Pinch-hitter Braxton Fulford had a go-ahead two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning, Antonio Senzatela got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the ninth and the Colorado Rockies held on for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland got his 1,000th career strikeout, the second player in franchise history to reach the milestone.
The Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the eighth on an RBI
double by Jared Triolo off Freeland and a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Bryan Reynolds and an RBI triple by Nick Gonzales against Jaden Hill.
But the Rockies came right back in their half of the eighth when Tyler Freeman and Cole Carrigg had consecutive two-out singles against Mason Montgomery (2-2). Fulford came in to pinch hit for Sterlin Thompson and doubled into the gap between left and center field to put Colorado up 4-3.
Senzatela (7-0) gave up a leadoff single in the ninth to Marcel Ozuna and Brandon Lowe singled on a ball that bounced off the leg of shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and into the outfield, putting the tying run at third base. Senzatela then walked Endy Rodríguez to load the bases. But he struck out Tyler Callihan and got Triolo to ground into a double play to end the game.
Freeland, who struck out Ozuna in the seventh to reach 1,000 strikeouts and then fanned Lowe, trails only Germán Márquez (1,069) on the Rockies' career list. Freeland finished with eight strikeouts and allowed two runs and four hits in 7 1/3 innings.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI double by Willi Castro. TJ Rumfield hit a solo homer in the fourth to make it 2-0.
RHP Paul Skenes (6-6, 2.85 ERA) will start for the Pirates on Saturday in the middle game of the series. RHP Tomoyuki Sungano (7-4, 4.54) will start for the Rockies.
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