The Pirates erased a 3-0 deficit in a hurry, reaching Danny Salazar for five runs and six hits in the fifth that proved to be the difference in a 5-3 Pittsburgh win.
Despite the Pirates winning the final two games of the series (by a combined 6-3 score), the Indians went 5-5 on this 10-game road trip, their longest of the season.
Michael Bourn, Roberto Perez and Michael Brantley drove in runs to stake the Indians to that 3-0 lead, but the Pirates rally, punctuated by Andrew McCutchen’s two-run double, erased the lead.
Over the last seven games of the trip, Tribe pitchers allowed a total of 16 runs (2.29 ERA).
Tonight’s opener vs. Houston features a marquee pitching matchup: Potential AL All-Star starter Dallas Keuchel vs. Carlos Carrasco, who has 10 wins and nearly no-hit the Rays on Wednesday.
W: Gerrit Cole (12-3)
L: Danny Salazar (7-4)
S: Mark Melancon (27)
HR: Pedro Alvarez (12, 5th inning off Salazar 1 on, 0 Out)
Photo: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
why can salazar not stop the bleeding once it starts. as good as the coaching, has been, they have to come up with a solution to his problem of coming apart, instead of getting tougher