Jack Suwinski, Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen slug HRs as Pirates beat Rockies 5-2

DENVER (AP) — Jack Suwinski, Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen homered, Luis Ortiz worked five solid innings of relief and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Friday night.

Ortiz (3-2) came on for opener Carmen Mlodzinski in the second inning and scattered seven hits in his five innings.

Ortiz was backed up by the long ball, with a big shot coming in the seventh off the bat of Suwinski, whose two-run blast off starter Ryan Feltner (1-6) gave Pittsburgh a 4-1 lead.

“Bryan got us on the board early, then Cutch to dead center and Jack’s was big,” manager Derek Shelton said. “It was big for Jack and us.”

Charlie Blackmon homered and doubled twice for Colorado, which has the third-worst record in the major leagues at 24-45, ahead of only Miami (23-46) and the Chicago White Sox (18-52).

Feltner left the game with an injury after going to a 3-2 count on Jared Triolo during the next at-bat. He pitched well through six innings despite giving up solo homers to Reynolds in the first and McCutchen in the sixth as Pittsburgh moved out to a 2-1 lead.

“I’m doing fine, just mid-back tightness,” Feltner said. “It was just one pitch, my back tightened up. It was late in the game, I was a little tired. I don’t anticipate any further issues.”

Feltner worked out of a jam in the first when he coaxed Ke’Bryan Hayes into an inning-ending double play, and got two more double plays in the second and fifth that kept Colorado close.

The Rockies got a run in the fifth when Ezequiel Tovar’s triple drove in Charlie Blackmon, but it came after Connor Joe threw home to double up Adael Amador, who tagged up on Brenton Doyle’s flyout.

“A good aggressive play where we’re trying to score and Connor just heaved it, a bang-bang play at the plate,” Colorado manager Bud Black said.

Pittsburgh added a run in the eighth when McCutchen doubled and scored on a single by Reynolds, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

“It’s kind of the way baseball goes,” Reynolds said. “Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re bad. I’m seeing the ball well right now.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: INF Oneil Cruz (left ankle soreness) was a late scratch from the lineup. … C Henry Davis left the game with concussion-like symptoms in the seventh inning. … RHP Hunter Stratton (right triceps strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list.

Rockies: Placed C Elias Diaz (left calf strain) on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, and reinstated OF Nolan Jones from the IL. … OF Jake Cave was scratched from the lineup with a minor cut on his forehead suffered when he was hit with a line drive during batting practice. He received four stitches to close the wound.

UP NEXT

The Pirates will send RHP Jared Jones (4-5, 3.27 ERA) to the mound against Colorado LHP Ty Blach (2-4, 4.84) Saturday night in the second game of the three-game set.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner works against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski watches a throw to a Colorado Rockies batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Rowdy Tellez watches a single off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies second baseman Adael Amador, left, throws to first base after putting out Pittsburgh Pirates' Jack Suwinski, right, at second on the front end of a double play hit into by Jared Triolo to end the top of the second inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo, right, throws to first base to put out Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon doubles against Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Luis L. Ortiz in the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Luis L. Ortiz works against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds watches his solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — It was a really challenging night for Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.

The front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award labored just to make it to the fifth inning of the NL Championship Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.

Los Angeles fouled off 21 of his 94 pitches by the time his final batter, Mookie Betts, reached on a one-out walk in the fifth. The 24-year-old allowed one run and five hits.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander threw 44 pitches at 100 mph or higher, reaching 104 mph on his initial offering to Freddie Freeman in the first. The Dodgers swung at 27 of his 62 fastballs, fouling off 16 and missing just five.

Misiorowski went 16-5 with a major league-low 1.80 ERA in 30 starts this season while averaging 100.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also led the majors with 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.

He struck out five and walked three in his second start this postseason. He tossed four innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee's 3-2 win over San Diego in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Oct. 3, reaching triple digits on 52 of 88 pitches.

Misiorowski was helped by three inning-ending double plays against Los Angeles, including Kiké Hernández's bouncer to shortstop with the bases loaded in the second.

DL Hall replaced Misiorowski and got Freeman to ground into a double play, delighting the yellow towel-waving crowd of 42,617.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws during Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski leaves the game during the fifth inning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kyla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, left, pulls pitcher Jacob Misiorowski from the game during the fifth inning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski celebrates the end of the fourth innning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski reacts to striking out Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during the third inning of Game 1 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)