PITTSBURGH _ Unable to do much of anything against Julio Teheran through seven innings, the Pirates rallied in the final three.
Yes, three. Sunday's game took 10 innings and ended with Starling Marte's game-winning home run, giving the Pirates a 6-5 victory against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. The Pirates swept the three-game series.
Adam Frazier doubled against Jose Ramirez in the 10th, with the Pirates trailing by one, before Marte homered into the bullpen.
Felipe Rivero, who hadn't allowed a run yet this season, gave up consecutive singles and a run-scoring groundout to Tyler Flowers in the top of the 10th. Jim Johnson entered to preserve a one-run lead in the ninth. Gregory Polanco singled and Josh Bell walked. With a 2-1 count and nobody out, Jordy Mercer tried to bunt ... and popped out to the catcher.
David Freese pinch-hit and walked to load the bases. The last man on the bench, Francisco Cervelli, pinch-hit and grounded to the left side. Adonis Garcia threw to Brandon Phillips at second. Phillips jumped to avoid Freese's slide and dropped the ball, causing the Braves to challenge the legality of the slide, but the call was confirmed and the game was tied.
The initial damage from the Braves lineup came from Freddie Freeman, who went 4 for 5 with a double and two homers. He hit one home run against starter Gerrit Cole, who allowed three runs in six innings. Antonio Bastardo almost struck Freeman out looking before his second home run, a long drive to right-center in the seventh.
Cole allowed eight hits, walked two and struck out four, and the Braves squared him up. Dansby Swanson, the second batter of the game, lined a home run to left field. Freeman followed with a harp single and stolen base to set up Nick Markakis' RBI single. Freeman was initially ruled out at second, but the Braves challenged and won, extending the inning.
Cole's line looked better than the five runs allowed in five innings Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox, but it was a struggle to get there. He allowed a baserunner in every inning and multiple men on base in three of them. Backed into a corner, though, he limited the damage. Facing men on second and third and one out in his sixth and final inning, he got Teheran to ground out to a drawn-in infield and struck out Ender Inciarte.
Tehran gave up two unearned runs in seven innings. The Pirates didn't have a hit until the third. Josh Bell and Jordy Mercer had consecutive RBI hits in the fourth to tie the game.
Frazier was thrown out to end the fifth on what was either a delayed steal or a missed hit-and-run attempt. The Braves twice had Marte picked off in the fourth, but poor throws negated the efforts. In the sixth, though, Teheran got him.
