Cutch’s 3-HR game propels Bucs past Rox

DENVER — Andrew McCutchen achieved his second home run hat trick, including a crushing three-run shot in the sixth inning, and the Pirates went deep five times in a 9-4 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field on a cold, damp Tuesday night.

McCutchen, who also hit three homers against the Nationals on Aug. 1, 2009, knocked solo homers in the first and second off ineffective Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa (1-3), who also gave up a first-inning shot to David Freese. The Rockies had trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the fifth, before McCutchen homered for three runs off Christian Bergman in the sixth. The next batter, Starling Marte, homered off Gonzalez Germen.

McCutchen had a chance to become the first Pirate to go deep four times in one game, but he grounded out in the eighth.

• Cutch hits 3 HRs in game for second time

De La Rosa, who pitched just two innings at Cincinnati in his last start, lasted just three innings and gave up four runs on five hits and three walks before leaving with a groin injury. Nolan Arenado hit his eighth homer in the fourth. Arenado’s two-out, bases-loaded RBI single in the fifth cut it to one run. But Marte prevented the Rockies from tying the game with his pinpoint throw to retire Gerardo Parra at the plate and keep Pirates starter Gerrit Cole (2-2) in the lead.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDBack-to-Buc: McCutchen broke out of …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com