The Pirates persisted despite a bad start by James McDonald, hitting four home runs to beat the Rockies 9-6 Wednesday afternoon.
McDonald allowed three runs in the first three batters of the game, thanks to homers by Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez. Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer in the top of the second (his 19th of the season), but the Rockies scored two more in the bottom of the second to make it 5-1.
That lead was short-lived. The Pirates scored five in the third on a three-run bomb by Garrett Jones and a two-run single by Clint Barmes. The Rockies tied it up in the fourth on an RBI single by Andrew Brown, but the Pirates answered in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs on homers by Casey McGehee and Rod Barajas.
McDonald has now allowed 11 runs in his past two starts. Let's hope Coors Field is to blame this time.
The Pirates are back to 11 games above .500, at 51-40. They're a half-game behind the Reds in the N.L. Central.
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