MILWAUKEE — Gerrit Cole has all but forgotten a recent four-game stretch where he failed to pitch past the fifth inning.
For the second consecutive start, Cole pitched seven strong innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 on Monday night. He also chipped in with a key hit to start a four-run outburst in the seventh.
"He was in attack mode from pitch one," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Cole (5-6) held the Brewers to one run and three hits. He struck out five and walked two. He gave up one run in his previous outing on June 13 against Colorado.