SAN FRANCISCO — There is probably nothing the Pirates could have done last fall to beat Madison Bumgarner in the Wild Card Game, but Monday night provided a reminder that the game sure would have been closer had Gerrit Cole started for Pittsburgh rather than Edinson Volquez.
Cole, one of the game’s best young pitchers, allowed just two unearned runs over seven innings as the Pirates handed the Giants a 4-3 loss that was their third straight. The right-hander struck out nine and gave up just five hits while beating Ryan Vogelsong, who was undefeated in May.
It’s not ideal to load the bases for former MVP Andrew McCutchen, but Vogelsong did it twice in the first five innings.