PIRATES 9, BRAVES 4
ATLANTA -- Ivan Nova was ticked off.
He really wanted another complete game.
Nova pitched into the ninth inning before tiring, local favorite Adam Frazier hit a three-run home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates pounded Bartolo Colon for a 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
After breezing through the first six innings, facing only three over the minimum, Nova (5-3) came up short in his bid to become the first pitcher in the big leagues this season with three complete games.
He went to the ninth with a 9-2 lead, only to be lifted after giving up three hits.
"It's frustrating," said Nova, who went 8 1/3 innings before Jhan Marinez got the final two outs. "To go out in the ninth inning with that lead, I've got to finish it off. I didn't make the pitches I needed to make and it almost got away from us."
Pittsburgh Manager Clint Hurdle had no complaints. Nova retired 19 hitters on three pitches or fewer, and only went to three balls on one batter -- Kurt Suzuki, who walked in the second.
The only solace for the Braves: It was the first time in Nova's three career appearances against them that they've scored an earned run.
"He knows how to attack," Hurdle said. "There's an art to pitching. He's not throwing. He's pitching."
The Pirates split the four-game series at SunTrust Park after losing the first two contests. This one was easy after Pittsburgh put up five runs in the third inning, capped by Frazier's third home run this season.
It was another big day for the rookie who grew up about an hour away near Athens, Ga. The previous night, Frazier reached base safely in all six plate appearances, including a home run and four walks.
"That's pretty awesome," he said, beaming.
Colon (2-5) had another tough outing. One day after his 44th birthday, he allowed 7 runs and 10 hits in a 5-inning stint, raising his ERA to 6.96.
An All-Star last season for the New York Mets, Colon has been charged with five or more runs in half of his 10 starts with the Braves.
"It's on me," he said through a translator. "When you get behind on the count, you have to throw it down the middle. That's what hurts you."
PHILLIES 2, ROCKIES 1 (11) Tommy Joseph hit a tying home run in the seventh inning and a winning single in the 11th, lifting host Philadelphia over Colorado and stopping the Rockies from a four-game sweep.
CUBS 5, GIANTS 1 Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist hit solo home runs, spot starter Eddie Butler pitched five effective innings and Chicago beat visiting San Francisco for its third consecutive victory.
PADRES 4, METS 3 Dinelson Lamet overpowered host New York in his major league debut, the Mets' Rafael Montero labored on short notice and San Diego won the second and last game of a three-game series with New York on a rainy night.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, BREWERS 0 Robbie Ray pitched seven innings of two-hit ball to lower the NL's second-best road ERA to 0.081, Gregor Blanco and Chris Owings homered, and visiting Arizona beat Milwaukee for its ninth victory in 10 games.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RAYS 4, ANGELS 0 Matt Andriese allowed six hits over eight innings, Colby Rasmus drove in four runs and host Tampa Bay salvaged a split of a four-game series with Los Angeles by beating the Angels.
RED SOX 6, RANGERS 2 Drew Pomeranz pitched six strong innings and tied his career high with 11 strikeouts to lift Boston to a victory over visiting Texas. Pomeranz (4-3) made it as far as six innings for the third time this season and beat Texas for the first time in nine career outings.
ASTROS 7, TIGERS 6 Jake Marisnick hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning for host Houston's fourth home run of the game, lifting the Astros to a 7-6 victory over Detroit.
INTERLEAGUE
MARINERS 4, NATIONALS 2 Nelson Cruz greeted reliever Jacob Turner with a go-ahead, three-run home run in the sixth inning, and visiting Seattle beat Washington to stop a five-game losing streak.
Sports on 05/26/2017