Jared Jones sizzles, Jack Suwinski delivers walk-off single as Pirates beat Rockies

As Jared Jones walked off the field in the seventh inning, a chorus of cheers erupted from the rain-drenched fans in honor of the best start yet by the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander.

Jones allowed only one hit in seven scoreless innings while tying his career best with 10 strikeouts without a walk against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday afternoon before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of 24,149 at PNC Park.

The biggest cheers, however, came when pinch-hitter Jack Suwinski smacked a bases-loaded single to left field in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Pirates to a 1-0 walk-off win for an emphatic end to their five-game losing streak.

“It was awesome,” Jones said. “I’m really happy for him, and I’m glad he came through. It’s just awesome to win those kind of games.”

It was the most impressive performance in a historic start to Jones’ major-league career, as he became the first pitcher in Pirates history to throw seven shutout innings with one or fewer hits allowed, 10 strikeouts and no walks.

Jones, who had 10 strikeouts in his major-league debut at Miami on March 30, joined Jose DeLeon (1983) to become only the second Pirates pitcher to hit double digits twice in their first seven career starts. It was the fourth time Jones recorded seven or more strikeouts without a walk, the most ever by a MLB pitcher in the first seven starts of his career.

And it marked the second time Jones has surrendered only one hit and hasn’t given up a run in his seven starts without earning a decision. The other came April 16 at the New York Mets, when he was pulled after throwing 50 of his 59 pitches for strikes in five innings in a 3-1 loss.

That was a predetermined decision to limit his innings count, given that Jones was making his first start on four days of rest. This time, the Pirates gave Jones more leeway — and he delivered the deepest outing of his major league career by going seven innings for the first time.

“I feel good every time he goes out, honestly, because he goes right after guys,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “You know what you’re gonna get with Jared. He’s gonna attack guys. He’s gonna stay in the zone. He’s not gonna beat himself. Those are the things you really like when a starter goes out.”

Throwing strikes on 67 of his career-high 96 pitches, Jones topped 100 mph twice with a four-seam fastball that sat at 97.6 and accounted for eight strikeouts. Shelton was particularly impressed with how Jones used the inner half of the plate against right-handed hitters. He drew 17 whiffs and another 17 called strikes, using his slider on the other two strikeouts while mixing in 11 curveballs and four changeups.

With two-time All-Star Yasmani Grandal catching him for the first time, Jones cruised through the Rockies’ batting order through four perfect innings. He struck out leadoff hitter Ezequiel Tovar on three pitches for the first of six strikeouts against the first dozen batters. Elias Diaz ended the drought by roping a leadoff double down the left-field line in the fifth.

“He executed as good as he can possibly execute,” said Grandal, who made his Pirates debut after missing two months with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. “Heading into the game, I kind of was coming up with a plan in my head and try to use the whole strike zone, not just stick to one side and pretty much use all his pitches. He’s not just a one-trick pony. He’s got other weapons he can get people out with.”

The Pirates failed to produce any run support, despite getting two hits in the second inning — though one took an unfortunate bounce. Connor Joe hit a leadoff single to right that ricocheted off the railing and directly to Jake Cave, whose throw beat Joe to second base.

Grandal hit a two-out single to left in his first at-bat, and Jared Triolo drew a walk but Rockies lefty Austin Gomber got Oneil Cruz to chase a knuckle-curve in the dirt to escape unscathed.

Ke’Bryan Hayes doubled down the left-field line with one out in the sixth but was stranded when Jordan Beck made a diving catch in left to rob Joe of a hit and Edward Olivares grounded out to short.

Triolo drew another walk in the seventh, but Cruz went down swinging and Taylor hit a fly ball to the warning track in center. Colin Holderman then pitched a perfect eighth for the Pirates.

Taylor returned the favor in the ninth, when Cave hit a fly ball off closer David Bednar deep to center that Taylor caught at the warning track. Bednar struck out Beck before Tovar hit a low line drive to right that Olivares snagged to keep the game scoreless.

That set up the ninth-inning heroics against Rockies reliever Nick Mears, who previously played for the Pirates. Joe started by hitting a leadoff single to left, then reached second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a groundout by Grandal. With two outs, Triolo drew a four-pitch walk and the Rockies intentionally walked Cruz to load the bases.

Shelton sent Suwinski, batting a team-worst .163, to pinch-hit for Taylor. Suwinski swatted an 0-1 fastball for the winning hit, the second time in his career he’s delivered a walk-off hit on Faith Night at PNC Park.

“That one feels really good, more importantly for the guys,” said Suwinski, who hit a two-run home run for a 2-1 win over Arizona as a rookie on Faith Night in June 2022. “Everyone’s been working really hard and doing everything they can. Like I said, really good at-bats that inning that led to that that put us in a good position to win that game, and Jared threw really well again.”