Ryan McMahon homered to spark a three-run sixth inning, Cal Quantrill pitched strongly into the eighth and the visiting Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Friday night.
Colorado snapped a five-game skid and ended a string of games in which it trailed. The Rockies set a major league record by trailing at some point in each of their first 31 games but broke that with a strong performance from Quantrill (1-3).
McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar, Elias Diaz and Jacob Stallings finished with two hits each for Colorado.
Oneil Cruz homered and Jared Triolo had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has lost five in a row and eight of its last nine.
The Rockies managed just five singles against Pirates starter Martin Perez through the first five innings but broke out in the sixth.
McMahon led off the frame with his fifth home run of the season, a 445-foot shot into the Allegheny River beyond the seats in right field. Diaz followed with a double to left-center field and Elehuris Montero drove him in with a single.
Montero moved to third on a groundout and Hunter Stratton relieved Perez. Stratton battled Brendan Rodgers in a 12-pitch at-bat that ended with Rodgers singling to right to bring home Montero.
Perez (1-2) allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings.
Quantrill followed his team’s three-run rally with a shutdown bottom of the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh.
He got the first two batters in the eighth before hitting Joey Bart. Jake Bird came on and walked Michael A. Taylor before striking out Andrew McCutchen to end the inning.
Quantrill gave up three hits, struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter in 7 2/3 innings.
Pittsburgh nearly spoiled the outing in the ninth when Bryan Reynolds led off with a walk and Cruz matched McMahon by homering into the Allegheny off Jalen Beeks.
Beeks then struck out pinch hitter Connor Joe and Triolo to pick up his first save.
