Pirates 1 - 8 Rockies
Final
  for this game

Anderson pitches Rockies past Pirates

Jul 26, 2014 - 6:34 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Brett Anderson cruised into the seventh inning before he was lifted because of a developing blister on his hand, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

Josh Rutledge hit a three-run double and Carlos Gonzalez added a two-run homer in a seven-run seventh inning for the Rockies, who won their second in a row on the heels of a seven-game slide.

Anderson (1-3) earned his first win since coming off the disabled list from a broken finger but left in the seventh when the blister on his pitching hand got to be too much.

"It got to the point where it was starting to affect his feel for the ball," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "We had to go get him."

The lefty's 102nd pitch, a 3-1 fastball to Russell Martin with one out, sailed high and outside and Anderson looked down at his fingers before he was taken out. He gave up only two hits and four walk while striking out one.

Charlie Morton (5-10) went six-plus innings for the Pirates, who were coming off a 5-1 homestand. Morton was charged with four runs on seven hits and a walk.

Morton gave up consecutive doubles to Ben Paulsen and Wilin Rosario to start the seventh as the Rockies scored their second run to start the rally. DJ LeMahieu followed with a single to chase Morton.

"I hung a curveball and left a sinker right over the middle," Morton admitted. "Those two pitches right there."

Ernesto Frieri gave up an RBI double to Stubbs and the big hits to Rutledge and Gonzalez, which made it 8-0.

Jordy Mercer hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Matt Belisle in the ninth for Pittsburgh's only run. Adam Ottavino came in to get the last two outs for Colorado.

Neil Walker's leadoff single in the fifth inning was Pittsburgh's first hit off Anderson and only its second baserunner.

With Anderson cruising, the Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the third after LeMahieu led off with a triple and scored on Rutledge's two-out double.

Game Notes

Weiss benched Nolan Arenado after the fourth baseman didn't hustle down the line on a ground ball in the fifth inning ... The Pirates started a 10-game road trip.






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