Tabata, Cole lead Pirates over D-Backs

Associated Press

Pittsburgh

Jose Tabata hit a two-run homer, rookie Gerrit Cole pitched six solid innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Friday night.

Tabata’s drive was his fourth of the season and came off J.J. Putz in the eighth inning, putting the NL Central-leading Pirates ahead by four runs. Tabata connected a day after he came off the bench and had three hits in a 12-inning loss at St. Louis.

Cole (6-5) was pitching on eight days of rest. He had his previous turn in the rotation skipped in part to allow veteran A.J. Burnett to pitch Thursday against the Cardinals and also to get extra rest. The 22-year-old Cole has pitched 140 innings between the major leagues and minor leagues in his second major league season.

The right-hander gave up two runs and five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

The first overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft won for just the second time in his last seven decisions after winning the first four starts of his career.

Tabata’s homer came after Gaby Sanchez, who doubled.

Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen had two hits each for Pittsburgh.

Brandon McCarthy (2-7) lost his fourth straight decision, giving up four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.

Martin Prado had two of Arizona’s five hits.

Pittsburgh broke a 2-all tie and moved in front for good with a two-run fifth.

Marte doubled with one out and scored on Neil Walker’s double. Andrew McCutchen then singled in Walker to make it 4-2.

Pedro Alvarez’s two-run single put the Pirates ahead 2-0 in the third. The hit scored Walker, who had walked, and McCutchen, who had doubled.

Arizona answered with two runs in the fourth. Cole walked Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Hill with one out, and they scored on singles by Martin Prado and A.J. Pollock.

NOTES

RHP Trevor Cahill (3-10, 4.66) is expected to be activated from the disabled list and start Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh LHP Jeff Locke (9-3, 2.43). Cahill has been out since July 1 with a bruised right hip. …Diamondbacks SS Didi Gregorius did not start after going 8 for 47 (.170) in his previous 14 games. Cliff Pennington took his place. …Pittsburgh signed RHP Kyle Farnsworth to a minor league contract as a free agent and assigned him to Triple-Indianapolis. The 37-year-old Farnsworth was 2-0 with a 5.76 ERA in 39 relief appearances with Tampa Bay this season before being designated for assignment and released Aug. 9. Farnsworth has pitched for the Chicago Cubs (1999-2004), Detroit (2005 and 2008), Atlanta (2005 and 2010), the New York Yankees (2006-08), Kansas City (2009-10) and Tampa Bay (2011-13). He is 42-62 with 52 saves, a 4.29 ERA and 936 strikeouts in 849 games.