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Pirates thump Rangers behind 4 HRs, Niese
- Updated: May 28, 2016
ARLINGTON — Pirates left-hander Jonathan Niese outpitched Cole Hamels and handed him his first loss since Aug. 7, 2015, in a 9-1 victory over the Rangers on Friday night. The Pirates, with four home runs on the night, have won 10 of their last 12 games to go a season-high nine games over .500.
Hamels was 12-0 with a 2.99 ERA in his last 19 starts before allowing six runs — five earned — in 4 2/3 innings. This was Hamels’ shortest outing in 22 starts for the Rangers and his first loss at Globe Life Park since being acquired from the Phillies on July 31 last year.
Hamels gave up a solo home run to Starling Marte in the second and a three-run home run to Jung Ho Kang in a five-run fifth inning. Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco also homered for the Pirates.
Niese allowed one run on seven hits, two walks and a strikeout over six innings. He is now 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his last three starts.
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDKang goes long: In his first MLB game as a designated hitter, Kang lifted an opposite-field, three-run homer in the fifth to break the game open for the Pirates, who scored five runs off Hamels in the fifth. This season, 10 of Kang’s 15 hits have gone …
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