Chad Bettis pitched 7 1⁄3 scoreless innings and Carlos González and Ryan McMahon drove in runs to give the Rockies a 2-0 win in Pittsburgh, securing their first series win at PNC Park since 2011. The Rockies got on the board in the top of the first, when González brought home Gerardo Parra, who had walked, with a fielder’s choice. The second run came in the fourth on a single from McMahon that scored Ian Desmond. The two runs were enough for Bettis and the Rockies bullpen, who held the Pirates to five hits, four of which were singles.
Chad Bettis tosses a gem
The story of the game was Bettis, who needed just 85 pitches to pitch 7 1⁄3 shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Despite the low strikeout number, he induced 11 ground ball outs against just four flyouts. The outing lowered Bettis’ 2018 ERA to a miniscule 1.44 through four starts.
Rockies stay hot
After a rough start to the season, just 5-7 through 12 games, the Rockies have now won six of their last seven games, including five of six on the current road trip. More impressively, they have not had both Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado in the same lineup for any of those seven games, but have allowed just 19 runs in that stretch.
Looking ahead
The Rockies will now look for a series sweep in Pittsburgh tomorrow afternoon, with Kyle Freeland taking the mound against the Pirates’ Chad Kuhl. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Mountain time.