PITTSBURGH _ The Pirates' four-game winning streak ended Wednesday with a 5-1 loss against the Colorado Rockies, who avoided a sweep in PNC Park.
Too often the Rockies walked off the field with Pirates baserunners stranded. They had men on second and third with one out in the fifth; no runs. They had men on the corners, nobody out, in the sixth, and got one run on Gregory Polanco's double-play grounder. Loading the bases in the seventh proved fruitless.
Wednesday's start became the third in Chad Kuhl's past five during which he exited after five innings due to the need for runs but could have continued. He threw only 75 pitches Wednesday, walked one and struck out three.
The Rockies had a 1-0 lead entering the fifth because of Ian Desmond's second-inning home run. He walked to lead off the fifth, and Raimel Tapia singled.
Trevor Story rolled a ball to the right of Max Moroff, who started in place of Jordy Mercer at shortstop. Moroff had made two nice plays in the second and fourth innings, but could not reach Story's single. Desmond scored. Josh Bell charged Rockies starter German Marquez's bunt and had the option of going to the plate to prevent a run or throwing to first for the sure out. He did neither, bobbling the ball, and the Rockies took a 3-0 lead.
The Pirates let a scoring chance in the fifth slip. After Andrew McCutchen's one-out single, Marquez hit Francisco Cervelli in the arm with the first pitch. Cervelli and Rockies catcher Tony Wolters got into it, forcing the dugouts and bullpens to empty, but nothing happened. Cervelli was displeased. So was Gerrit Cole. When play resumed, Moroff and pinch-hitter Jose Osuna could not bring home a run.
