The Pirates may have managed to tie the score in the third inning after a weak beginning of the game by pitcher James McDonald, but a messy seventh inning by rookie reliever Mike Crotta cost the Pirates the win, as they fell 6-5.
The Pirates even took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth, when McDonald helped his own cause by singling and then scoring on a groundout by Neil Walker. But the Rockies took over in the seventh.
McDonald started the seventh inning on the hill for the Bucs and got two outs, but then allowed a single to Dexter Fowler. The Pirates then turned to Crotta, and things went downhill quickly – Fowler stole second, and then Crotta walked Jonathan Herrera. Jason Giambi then singled home Fowler, and Crotta walked both Troy Tulowitzki and Seth Smith to bring home another run. The Pirates then turned to Daniel McCutchen to end the inning, but the damage was done, with the Rockies up 6-5. The Pirates were unable to score in the final two innings, and the Rockies won by one.