The Colorado Rockies won their second series of the season with a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon by way of a bases loaded walk. It was their third win in the four-game series.
The Rockies got to Pirates starter James McDonald early, scoring four runs in the first inning. Jonathan Herrera, batting second, drew a walk and then advanced to second on a stolen base. With two outs, Troy Tulowitzki also walked, giving Seth Smith a chance with men on first and second. A single sent Herrera home, giving the Rockies a one-run lead. Jose Lopez, starting at third base for a still unready Ian Stewart, blasted a three-run home run for a 4-0 Rockies lead.
The Pirates gained one run back in the second inning when Ronny Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to score Pedro Alvarez, who reached on a single. But it was the third inning when Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin ran into major trouble. He hit Jose Tabata and then allowed a Neil Walker single to start the inning. Andrew McCutchen then singled in Tabata and moved to second on an error by Ty Wigginton. Lyle Overbay doubled to score Walker and McCutchen, tying the game at four.
In the fourth inning, the Pirates took a 5-4 lead on a Neil Walker ground out. Pitcher James McDonald started things off with a single and advanced to third by way of a single and a Jhoulys Chacin error. But come the seventh inning, the Rockies were ready for a comeback. Dexter Fowler hit a two-out single off reliever Michael Crotta and then stole second base. A Jonathan Herrera walk set up a Jason Giambi for an RBI single to tie the game. Crotta walked Tulowitzki to load the bases. And then Crotta walked in the winning run when Seth Smith used five pitches to advance to first base.
Felipe Paulino, Matt Reynolds and Huston Street kept the Pirates off the board for the last three innings of the game. Street struck out the first two batters he faced and induced a ground out to end the game,
The Rockies head to Citi Field in Flushing, NY for a four-game series with the New York Mets, starting Monday night. For more on the Rockies, please visit Purple Row.