Pirates Gerrit Cole Allows Homer, Strikes Out Three

The Pittsburgh Pirates

top prospect Gerrit Cole had another nice outing in the Arizona Fall League yesterday.

In the first inning he recorded a flyball out and a groundball out. Cole then got Michael Choice looking on a called strike three to end the first.

Cleanup hitter Ronnier Mustelier led off the second with his second homerun a line drive to left to stake Phoenix to a 1-0 lead.   The Yankees 3B base prospect is now hitting .405 in the AFL.

Yankees OF Rob Segedin followed with a double to left field, but Cole settled in and retired the next three batters with a strikeout, a flyout to right fielder Robbie Grossman and a popout to second baseman Jarek Cunningham to end the threat.

In his final inning Cole retired Ryan Ortiz on a flyout before Anthony Gose singled to right field. The Pirates right hander recorded his final strikeout of the day when he got Brodie Greene swinging for the second out.

Gose stole second, his fifth steal of the season, and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Brian Ward. But Cole stranded Gose at third when he got Choice to groundout to second.

Cole was lifted in the fourth inning for Bucco left hander Nathan Baker. Cole threw 42 pitches getting 30 strikes, allowed three hits and the one run in his three innings of work.

Baker struckout the side in the fourth around a walk and a hit.

Robbie Grossman walked twice while Jarek Cunningham went 0-for-4 in the 3-1 Mesa victory.