Series Review: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks

Aug 17, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (L) gives the ball to Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle (C) against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: Gerrit Cole (14-6, 2.48ERA) vs. Jeremy Hellickson (8-8, 4.73ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 4-1

Winning Pitcher: Jeremy Hellickson (9-8, 4.60ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Gerrit Cole (14-7, 2.61ERA)

Save: Brad Ziegler (21, 1.58ERA)

• What went right:
  • Pedro Alvarez stayed hot as he went 2-4 with a home run, one RBI and a run scored.
  • Joe Blanton continued to be an effective pitcher for the Pirates. He threw 1.1 innings of relief and allowed zero runs on zero hits.
  • David Peralta was caught stealing by Francisco Cervelli.
  • Paul Goldschmidt went 0-4 with two strikeouts.

• What went wrong:
  • Gerrit Cole did not have his best stuff again. He had a very rough first inning, but was able to settle down. He went 6.2 innings, allowed four runs on nine hits and struck out five.
  • Top of the order did have a very strong game as Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen combined to go 1-12 with a walk.
  • David Peralta had a good game for the Diamondbacks as he went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
  • Jeremy Hellickson kept the Pirates off-balance with his curveball all night. He went 5.1 inning, allowed one run on three hits and struck out four.

The Pirates came out very flat in game one of the series as they could never seem to cash in their opportunities. The Diamondbacks kept trying to let the Pirates back into the game, but the Pirates were never able to get the big hit.

The Bucs looked to respond and get back in the series with Francisco Liriano on the mound for game two.

Next: Game Two: Liriano vs. Anderson