7:31 AM, Jun 12, 2013
Gerrit Cole had a memorable debut as he
pitched into the seventh inning and hit a two-run single to lead the
Pittsburgh Pirates in an 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in the opener
of a three-game set at PNC Park. Cole (1-0) was taken by the Yankees in the
first round of the 2008 draft, but chose to play in college at UCLA and was
chosen first overall by Pittsburgh in the 2011 draft. The 22-year-old didn't
disappoint as he escaped jams in the first two innings then set San Francisco
down in order in the next four frames. He finished his outing responsible for
two runs on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings of
work. Pedro Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run, three RBI and
two runs scored while Starling Marte hit a solo homer for the Pirates,
who had dropped four of six coming in. Tim Lincecum (4-6) continued to
struggle on the road as he gave up four runs -- two earned -- on seven hit