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Bucs waste Cole’s outing, can’t gain ground
- Updated: July 23, 2016
PITTSBURGH — Friday night was a step in the right direction for Gerrit Cole, an encouraging sign that the Pirates’ ace may be finding his form in the second half. But it was a step in the wrong direction, at the wrong time, for Pittsburgh’s lineup.
Entering the All-Star break, the Pirates’ rotation was their only glaring weakness. Their bench and bullpen had taken shape. Their lineup hit well in consecutive series wins over the A’s, Cardinals and Cubs. But their ace delivered a solid start, and it went to waste as they were shut out by rookie Zach Eflin in a 4-0 loss to the Phillies at PNC Park.
The Pirates have scored 16 runs in seven games since the break, an average of 2.29 per contest, while hitting .209/.264/.305 as a team. They managed only three hits on Friday night, two of them by John Jaso, who was bumped out of the leadoff spot, and didn’t draw a walk.
Afterward, the Pirates tipped their caps to the 22-year-old right-hander, who carved through the lineup on 100 pitches and struck out six.
“He did a great job …
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