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 Arizona failed to score over the final five innings -- quite a change from its previous series -- as Jose Tabata hit a two-run homer, rookie Gerrit Cole pitched six solid innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Diamondbacks 6-2 on Friday night.
Arizona swept a three-game home series against Baltimore prior to coming to Pittsburgh, winning each game in walk-off fashion.
Tabata's drive was his fourth of the season and came off J.J. Putz in the eighth inning, putting the NL Central-leading Pirates ahead by four runs. Tabata connected a day after he came off the bench and had three hits in a 12-inning loss at St. Louis.
Cole (6-5) was pitching on eight days' rest. He had his previous turn in the rotation skipped in part to allow veteran A.J. Burnett to pitch Thursday against the Cardinals and also to get extra rest. The 22-year-old Cole has pitched 140 innings between the major leagues and minors in his second big league season.
However, Cole (6-5) gave up two runs and five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Jeanmar Gomez and Mark Melancon combined for three scoreless innings of relief.
The first overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft won for just the second time in his last seven decisions after winning the first four starts of his career.
"We got beat by a good pitcher," said the Diamondbacks' Wil Nieves. "He was bringing it. He keeps the ball down. Most of the guys who throw 98 mph, they pitch up in the strike zone. He keeps it's down and he's got a good slider/changeup combination, too. He's really good."
Tabata's homer came after Gaby Sanchez had doubled, putting the game away.
Brandon McCarthy (2-7) lost his fourth straight decision, giving up four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.
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"I feel like I kind of pitched a little better than the numbers show but it was a case of making the wrong pitches at the wrong times," McCarthy said. "Overall, I wasn't entirely sharp but I needed to get through that and mitigate the damage better than I did."
Gibson agreed that McCarthy probably deserved a better fate.
"He threw some really good pitches but the consistency wasn't there and he made some mistakes they got on," Gibson said. "Overall, he's pitching really good for us."
Martin Prado had two of Arizona's five hits.
Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen had two hits each for Pittsburgh, which broke a 2-all tie and moved in front for good with a two-run fifth. Marte doubled with one out and scored on Neil Walker's double. Andrew McCutchen then singled in Walker to make it 4-2.
Pedro Alvarez's two-run single put the Pirates ahead 2-0 in the third. The hit scored Walker, who had walked, and McCutchen, who had doubled.
Arizona answered with two runs in the fourth. Cole walked Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Hill with one out, and they scored on singles by Martin Prado and A.J. Pollock.
NOTES: RHP Trevor Cahill (3-10, 4.66 ERA) is expected to be activated from the disabled list and start Saturday's game against Pittsburgh LHP Jeff Locke (9-3, 2.43). Cahill has been out since July 1 with a bruised right hip. ... Diamondbacks SS Didi Gregorius did not start after going 8 for 47 (.170) in his previous 14 games. Cliff Pennington took his place. ... Pittsburgh signed RHP Kyle Farnsworth to a minor league contract as a free agent and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 15-year veteran was released Aug. 9 by Tampa Bay.
[Associated
Press]
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