Scott Oberg Falters In The Eighth, Colorado Rockies Lose 5-3 In Pittsburgh

Aug 28, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman

Jung Ho Kang

(27) hits an RBI double against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies traveled to western Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of their three-game weekend series on Friday night.

5. 4. 3. 108. Final

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The Colorado Rockies took a 3-3 tie into the 8th inning, but couldn’t hang on against a good ball club on the road, and the Pittsburgh Pirates won 5-3 at PNC Park on Friday night.

The Rockies couldn’t capitalize on two first inning walks against Pirates’ starter Francisco Liriano, and that made the Rox pay — the Pirates would be able to take care of their opportunities all day, unlike the visiting Rockies.

The Pirates got one of those opportunities in the bottom of the first, when Rockies’ starter Jon Gray allowed a weak single to Andrew McCutchen, and another weak single to Jung Ho Kang to make it 1-0 in favor of Pittsburgh.

The Pirates would get on the board again in the bottom of the third inning, when Kang hit a double down the right field line to score Gregory Polanco and make the game 2-0 off Gray.

The Colorado Rockies would get both of those runs back in the top of the fifth inning, thanks to an unlikely home run from Jose Reyes. Reyes hit a low line drive off Liriano right down the left field line, but it hit the foul pole, and the Rockies were right back in a 2-2 game.

The Pirates, though, would push across another run off Gray in the bottom of the fifth. Starling Marte drove in Polanco with a sacrifice fly to left field. Gray was pulled later in the inning in favor of Christian Bergman, trailing 3-2 at that point.

Gray ended up throwing 89 pitches on the evening, giving up 7 hits and 2 walks (and the three runs) in 4.1 innings, while striking out six Pirates and leaving with the loss hanging around his neck.

Fortunately for Gray, though, the Rockies would pick him up and take him of the hook for the loss, scoring a run in the top of the sixth inning when Carlos Gonzalez slugged a solo home run to deep right center field, making it a 3-3 game once again.

That score would hold throw Bergman and Jairo Diaz‘s relief outings for the Rockies, right up until Scott Oberg came on for the bottom of the eighth.

Oberg allowed two runs in the inning, thanks to two walks on his behalf, and then RBI singles from Josh Harrison and Polanco, to make it a 5-3 game in favor of the Pirates.

Mark Melancon, a Denver native and Golden High School alum, came on to close for the Pirates in the top of the ninth at that point, and shut down the Colorado Rockies easily in the ninth for the Pirates’ victory.

The Pirates and Colorado Rockies play again on Saturday evening at 5:05 pm MT before finishing their series on Sunday afternoon.

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