Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. Kansas City Royals

Jul 20, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals base runner Lorenzo Cain (6) scores as he runs down the third base line against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Game Two: Gerrit Cole (13-3, 2.30 ERA) vs. Jason Vargas (5-2, 4.10 ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 3-1

Winning Pitcher: Wade Davis (6-1, 0.44 ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.31 ERA)

Save: Greg Holland (21, 3.34 ERA)

• What went right:
  • Gerrit Cole did his ace thing as we’ve all come to expect, going 7.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out six.
  • Starling Marte had another multi-hit game, going 2-4.
  • Jung-ho Kang had a multi-hit game of his own, going 2-4 with a run scored.
  • Travis Ishikawa had a pinch-hit RBI single.

• What went wrong:
  • Outside of Kang and Marte, the offense was kept quiet.
  • Rick Sofield sent Starling Marte home in the ninth inning on Jung-ho Kang’s double where he was thrown out at the plate. It was a very poor send given the situation.
  • Starling Marte appeared to homer in the second inning, but it was ruled a ground-rule double by the review crew and the team was given “No Comment” as to the reason why.
  • Jarrod Dyson provided just enough offense for the Royals, going 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Next: Rubber Match - Charlie Morton vs. Edinson Volquez