When it rains, it pours. And in the case of the 2024 Rockies, it floods.
Pinch-hitter Jack Suwinski hit a walk-off single to score Connor Joe and lift the Pirates to a 1-0 victory over Colorado on Saturday at dank and dreary PNC Park. Suwinski drilled reliever Nick Mears’ 0-1 fastball into left field for the game-winner.
The Rockies, who have yet to win back-to-back games this season, squandered an excellent start by left-hander Austin Gomber and slid to 8-25. Dominated by talented Pirates right-hander Jared Jones for seven innings, Colorado managed just one hit and struck out 11 times.
Joe, the former Rockies fan favorite, led off the ninth with a groundball single through the left side and took second on Mears’ wild pitch. Given the Rockies’ track record, you could sense a defeat coming. Sure enough, Mears walked Jared Triolo and then intentionally walked Oneil Cruz to load the bases, setting the stage for Suwinski’s game-winner.
Colorado suffered its third walk-off loss on the current road trip, losing twice in Miami earlier in the week.
Jones came one hit away from pitching a perfect seven innings. Elias Diaz ripped a solid double into the left-field corner to lead off the fifth but was left stranded. Outside of that one swing, the Rockies could do nothing against Jones, who struck out 10 and walked none.
At 22 years, 237 days old, Jones became the youngest major league pitcher with a start of at least seven innings, one or fewer hits allowed, and 10 or more strikeouts since Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta (22 years, 22 days) on June 26, 2018, vs. Kansas City.
“It was our first time facing Jones and I’ve often said it, ‘The first-time advantage goes to the pitcher,'” Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters in Pittsburgh. “That kid has good stuff. We did a lot of homework on him … but as advertised, it was a good fastball. And he had the ability to spin the ball, and he threw a few changeups.”
Gomber was terrific and nearly matched Jones. The lefty pitched six scoreless innings, gave up four hits, walked two and fanned three. He whittled his ERA to 3.79.
“(Gomber) matched their guy, and their guy has been good,” Black told reporters. “(Jones has) a fine young arm and has a bright future, but Austin hung right there with him. Austin’s changeup came into play, and I thought all four pitches were solid. He pitched, and when he gets on his rolls, it’s usually with all four pitches being effective.”
Colorado’s defense provided Gomber with stellar support. In the second, Joe led off with a single into the right-field corner and tried to stretch the hit into a double, but Jake Cave made a perfect throw to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to nail Joe at second.
In the sixth, Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a one-out double to left under the glove of third baseman Ryan McMahon. Up to the plate came Joe, who looped a ball into shallow left only to see rookie Jordan Beck swoop in and make a sliding catch, robbing Joe of a single to prevent Hayes from scoring.
The Rockies, who won Game 1 of the three-game series on Friday night, will attempt to win their first series this season on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.13 ERA) at Pirates LHP Bailey Falter (2-2, 4.22)
11:35 a.m. Sunday, PNC Park
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Feltner is coming off the best start of his career, even though the Rockies lost a 7-6, 10-inning heartbreaker at Miami. He pitched a career-high eight innings but was charged with three runs on five hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. He entered the ninth inning with a 5-0 lead and was on the verge of throwing a complete game, but he allowed the first three batters to reach before he was given the hook. The Rockies’ bullpen meltdown cost him a victory. Feltner has made one previous start against the Pirates, on May 25, 2022, at PNC Park. He allowed two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in five innings of a 10-5 Colorado loss.
Falter has made three relief appearances against Colorado, all with Philadelphia, going 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA. He last faced the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park on May 23, 2022. He’s coming off a loss at Oakland, where he gave up five runs in five innings as the Pirates fell 5-1. He’s pitched very well in his two starts at PNC Park this season, posting a 0.69 ERA. He has a 2.89 ERA over his last five starts after giving up six runs in four innings in his first start. Pittsburgh is 4-2 when he starts this season.
Pitching probables
Monday: Off day
Tuesday: Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (2-1, 3.79) at Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-5, 5.93), 6:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Giants RHP Jordan Hicks (2-1, 1.89) at Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (2-1, 5.66), 6:40 p.m.
