CHICAGO -- Gerrit Cole’s homer was the first by a Pirates pitcher since Ross Ohlendorf homered on Sept. 15, 2011 at Dodger Stadium. If I remember correctly, though, Ohlendorf went opposite field, so Cole’s got some work ahead of him.
“I’m still waiting for Liriano” to homer, Clint Hurdle joked.
“It’s pretty sweet,” Cole said. “Everybody wants to hit a home run in the show, and it happened at Wrigley, which is really cool.”
Cole said he didn’t have a whole lot working, though for four innings he at least had his fastball working as the Cubs either swung through it or watched it for strike three.
“When you’re pitching with a lead like that, you can take some risks here and there,” Cole said. “I made some pitches early and I just couldn’t … seventh inning’s been posing a little bit of an issue.”
Location gave Cole trouble, he said, and he was fighting himself at times.
***Neil Walker tied Bill Mazeroski for the single-season home run record for Pirates second basemen with 19. He had three hits in a game against left-handed pitchers for the fourth time this season. Walker’s homer was the second against a righty this season.
***Jordy Mercer homered for the second game in a row, and both home runs came with two strikes.
First Published: March 24, 2016, 5:07 p.m.