DENVER — The Pittsburgh Pirates clinched a playoff berth for the third straight year by emphatically taking matters into their own hands Wednesday night.
After watching most of a large early lead vanish, the Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 13-7, piling on with a six-run ninth.
Had the Pirates lost, they still might have guaranteed themselves a spot in the postseason if the Giants lost at San Diego. Rather than wait for that outcome, the Pirates paved their own way to October. The victory was their fifth straight and improved their record to 92-60, putting the Pirates a season-high 32 games above .500.
Second baseman Neil Walker, a Pittsburgh native, had a career-high six RBIs, the first five coming in the first three innings. He singled home two runs in the first and hit a three-run homer in the third off spot starter Christian Bergman (3-1).
With a single in the ninth, Mercer became the first Pirate to drive in six runs since Garrett Jones on Aug. 16, 2012.
Left fielder Starling Marte’s two-run double in the fourth boosted the lead to 7-1. But the margin dwindled to one run when the Rockies struck for four runs in the fifth. Left fielder Corey Dickerson led off the inning with a homer and catcher Tom Murphy hit a three-run shot.
However, the Pirates put the game out of reach with their big ninth and tied their season-high with 13 runs.
First baseman Sean Rodriguez’s three-run double began the scoring in the ninth when the Pirates collected seven of their 19 hits.
Murphy’s homer finished starter Charlie Morton. Joe Blanton (4-0) came on and retired the five batters he faced.
Joakim Soria, Tony Watson and Arquimedes Caminero completed the bullpen bridge.
NOTES: Pirates manager Clint Hurdle announced that LHP J.A. Happ, RHP Charlie Morton and RHP Gerrit Cole will start in the three-game series with the Cardinals that begins Monday in Pittsburgh. … Rockies CF Brandon Barnes left the game in the sixth with a mild left hamstring strain. … Rockies RHP Jon Gray has reached his innings limit and will not pitch the rest of the season. He threw 155 innings overall, including 40 2/3 with the Rockies in nine starts, a 25 percent increase from 124 1/3 innings last year. … Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa will not start for the remainder of the season because of right Achilles tendinitis that caused him to be scratched from a scheduled start Friday. … Rockies RHPs Tyler Chatwood (elbow) and Jordan Lyles (toe) threw simulated games and will report to the Arizona Instructional League on Friday. … Colorado CF Charlie Blackmon was scratched because of neck stiffness, and 3B Nolan Arenado was out due to a head ailment. … Pirates 3B Aramis Ramirez was not in the lineup. He left Tuesday’s game with left groin tightness.