Associated Press WIN - Pirates' Endy Rodríguez, left, congratulates Nick Gonzales (3) who crosses home plate after hitting a two-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, in Denver.

DENVER (AP) — Nick Gonzalez and Bryan Reynolds homered to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 8-6 on Sunday.

Gonzalez and Reynolds finished with two hits each to help Pittsburgh salvage the finale of the three-game series in what could have been a sweep. The Pirates lost the first two games despite having the tying and winning runs on second and third with one out in the ninth in both games.

Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones left the game after he was struck on the right elbow on a comebacker to end the third inning. The ball deflected to Gonzalez at third, who threw out TJ Rumfield. The Pirates announced initial tests on the elbow were negative.

Yohan Ramirez (5-2) took over in the fourth and tossed two scoreless innings.

The Rockies only hit through six innings was Tyler Freeman’s infield single leading off the second inning. He later scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice.

Gonzalez put the Pirates in front in the fourth when he followed Reynolds’ leadoff double with his third home run of the season. Jared Triolo had an RBI double in the fifth against Michael Lorenzen (2-9), who is winless in 10 starts.

Pittsburgh made it 5-1 with four straight hits to begin the sixth inning, and then broke it open in the seventh. Spencer Horwitz and Brandon Lowe led off with singles and Reynolds hit a 433-foot shot into the second deck in right field against Juan Mejia.

Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro led off the eighth with singles and Rumfield followed with his 12th home run. Kyle Karros had an RBI double in the ninth and scored on a throwing error.

Up next

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (5-4, 5.25) faces Seattle on Tuesday night at home to begin a three-game series.

Rockies: RHP Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.05) opens a three-game home series against Boston on Monday night.

SATURDAY

Rockies edge Skenes, Pirates 2-1

DENVER (AP) — Jake McCarthy hit a leadoff inside-the-park home run off Paul Skenes and the Colorado Rockies survived another tense ninth inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Saturday night.

Skenes (6-7) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Colorado on May 12, and hasn’t won since that outing.

Tomoyuki Sugano (8-4) went six innings, and Jaden Hill picked up his second save.

Pittsburgh, as it did Friday night, had the tying run on third with less that two outs in the ninth. Hill came on and hit Nick Gonzalez to load the bases before striking out Tyler Callihan. Jake Mangum then hit a grounder to third baseman Kyle Karros, and the game ended when umpires determined Karros was interfered with by Billy Cook.

The game started with matching leadoff home runs. Spencer Horowitz blasted a 434-footer into the second deck in right field to start the night, his fifth career leadoff homer, and McCarthy answered with more flare.

McCarthy drove a liner to center field that got by the diving Mangum and rolled to the wall. Callihan had trouble picking it up, allowing McCarthy to race around the bases and beat the relay throw home.

It was the franchise’s second inside-the-park homer to lead off the first inning – the last by Eric Young Jr. on Aug. 8, 2012 — and the 20th inside-the-park home run in team history and first since Ian Desmond’s on June 14, 2019.

McCarthy’s hustle double in the third led to Colorado’s second run.