Cole pitches well, Pirates rout Padres to avoid sweep
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Josh Harrison beats San Diego Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt to home plate while scoring from third on a wild pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 21, 2016, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison is congratulated by manager Clint Hurdle after the Pirates’ 11-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in a baseball game Thursday, April 21, 2016, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Josh Harrison is congratulated at the dugout after he drove in his second run with a single, then stole second, took third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, April 21, 2016, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
SAN DIEGO — Gerrit Cole pitched six impressive innings for his first win this season and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Diego Padres 11-1 on Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.
Cole (1-2), who grew up in Newport Beach and pitched at UCLA, held San Diego to four singles while striking out seven and walking none. Only two Padres baserunners reached scoring position against Cole.
After scoring three runs against James Shields (0-3) through four innings, the Pirates piled on with eight runs against two relievers in the seventh. John Jaso and Starling Marte had RBI doubles in the big inning while David Freese and Francisco Cervelli had two-run singles.
Leonel Campos, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A El Paso, allowed seven runs, five earned, while getting only one out in the big inning. He walked one, hit a batter and had a batter reach on a strikeout-passed ball.
Josh Harrison had RBI singles in the second and fourth innings, both against Shields and scored twice.
Shields allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, struck out five and walked two.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: LHP Robbie Erlin went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left elbow. He joins opening-day starter Tyson Ross as the second starter to be sidelined in the season’s first month. The move is retroactive to Monday. … Ross (inflamed right shoulder) and 2B Cory Spangenberg (left quad strain) both had MRIs on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: LHP Jonathon Niese (2-0, 3.50 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Arizona, which will counter with LHP Patrick Corbin (1-1, 2.75).
Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner (0-1, 5.40) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, who will counter with RHP Adam Wainright (0-2, 8.27).