Archer grinds past Rockies for first Pirates win
Adam Frazier had three hits, Gregory Polanco doubled and scored a run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 in Denver on Wednesday.
Colin Moran and Corey Dickerson had two hits each, and Chris Archer got his first win since being acquired by Pittsburgh at the July 31 trade deadline.
Felipe Vazquez got the final four outs for his 26th save.
David Dahl homered and Charlie Blackmon had two singles a game after getting his 1,000th career hit. Losing pitcher German Marquez (9-9) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in six innings of work.
The Pirates jumped on Marquez for two runs in the first inning. Starling Marte singled with one out and scored on Polanco's double. After Francisco Cervelli struck out, Moran's RBI single made it 2-0.
Pittsburgh made it 3-0 in the third when Moran singled, moved to third on Frazier's double and scored on a groundout by Josh Bell.
Marquez turned a perfect fourth inning when he struck out the side on nine pitches. The feat, referred to as an immaculate inning, was the second one in Rockies history and the first time it happened at Coors Field. Colorado reliever Rex Brothers accomplished it at San Francisco on June 14, 2014.
The Rockies got two runs back in the fourth when DJ LeMahieu led off with a single and Dahl homered into the Colorado bullpen.
Archer retired the first eight batters before Marquez singled. His pitch count climbed in the fourth and fifth innings, and he left for a pinch hitter in the top of the sixth.
Archer (4-5) allowed two runs on five hits and fanned three in five innings.
Dickerson's sacrifice fly in the eighth gave Pittsburgh a two-run lead, but Colorado nearly tied it in the bottom of the frame. After Ryan McMahon's RBI single put runners on the corners with one out, pinch hitter Ian Desmond struck out. Chris Iannetta then came up to pinch-hit and hit a hard grounder to the hole at second. Frazier made a diving stop and threw out Iannetta to end the inning.
--Field Level Media
