Pirates’ ace Cole plays catch day after beginning DL stint

Pittsburgh left-hander Steven Brault allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in four innings after being promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Elias Sports Bureau research indicates that this marked the first time since June 30, 2011, against the Giants that the Cubs won a game in which they trailed in the ninth inning and in extra innings.

Washington also seems destined for a division title, moving nine games clear atop the NL East with a shutout win at Philadelphia.

The Chicago Cubs have been the Pittsburgh Pirates’ kryptonite in 2016.

Rob Zastryzny (1-0) got his first major league win.

The Cubs (84-47) won for the sixth time in eight games and maintained a 14-game lead in the National League Central over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.

Rays 4, Red Sox 3: Evan Longoria broke a tie with a solo homer in the eighth inning, rallying Tampa Bay over Boston.

As we made our way to talk to Jake Arrieta, who started the game 5 hours and 3 minutes before it ended, I noticed three cans of Mountain Dew lined up in the front of Travis Wood’s locker.

Locke pitched the bottom of the 10th inning and allowed a leadoff single to Baez, and Dexter Fowler added a one-out single to put the runners on the corners.

Arrieta retired seven consecutive Pirates batters before Josh Bell came to bat with one out in the fourth inning.

NY pitcher Michael Pineda retired 15 straight batters before getting into a jam in the seventh inning, allowing two runners with no outs, and Escobar capitalized with a shot off reliever Blake Parker.

ASTROS 3, ATHLETICS 1: Collin McHugh threw six scoreless innings, Colby Rasmus and Evan Gattis homered and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1 on Tuesday night. He has struck out 22 and walked one. Arrieta issued an acceptable three walks, though two opposite field homers spoiled his outing. He is among the hottest pitchers post All-Star break, going 8-1 in his last 12 starts. The play was reviewed in case Cervelli violated the home plate collision rule, but the call stood. Two innings later, Cespedes, who sat out Sunday after his nagging right thigh flared up, launched a big hit over left-center field. Chad Kuhl will take the hill for the Pirates as they look to gain more ground in the wild card race. This season, he has seen 488 and hit five home runs.

The Cubs had bases loaded one one out in the 10th, but Rizzo grounded to first for an inning-ending double play that caught Javier Baez in a tag at the plate by Cervelli and a led to a review by umpires. Contreras’ ninth homer of the year came with none out and cut the lead to 6-5.

Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis’ 10th-inning single drove in Chris Gimenez for the only run of the game as the Indians handed Minnesota its 11th straight loss.

Kuhl didn’t make it out of the third inning when he faced the Cubs on July 9, though the Pirates went on to win that game.

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole has returned to the team after getting his sore right elbow examined and is already playing catch.