Pittsburgh Pirates weekly report

The Pirates opened the week on Wednesday with an 8-2 win over the Minnesota Twins, as Ian Snell (2-7) picked up his first win since April 18 behind the long ball. Andrew McCutchen had his first career homer, and Andy and Adam LaRoche became the first Bucs brothers to homer in the same game since 1938. Snell pitched six innings, giving up two earned runs, five hits and three walks, and striking out two.

The Bucs dropped the rubber game of their three-game series with the Twins 5-1 on Thursday. Adam LaRoche had the only live bat and collected the team's only RBI in the top of the ninth. Zach Duke (7-5) had a quality start, pitching six innings and giving up three earned runs on seven hits while walking two and giving up one homer.

The Pirates opened their series with the Colorado Rockies with a 7-3 loss at Coors Field. Ross Ohlendorf's (6-6) tough outing created a 6-0 hole after five innings, and while Jack Wilson had a homer in the seventh and the Bucs plated two in the top of the ninth, it wasn't enough. Ohlendorf pitched five innings, giving up nine hits, six earned runs, striking out two and giving up two home runs.

It looked like the Bucs were on their way in the second game of the series against the Rockies on Saturday as Andrew McCutchen's three-run triple in the top of the seventh put the Pirates on top, but the long ball burned the Bucs. John Grabow gave up a game tying homer in the eighth and losing piutcher Jesse Chavez (0-3) served up one in the ninth to end the game. Nyjer Morgan and Brandon Moss combined for seven hits and three RBIs.

The Pirates tried to avoid being swept by the Rockies on Sunday, but even with Paul Maholm (4-4) starting, it didn't happen. The Bucs jumped out to to a three run lead but the Rockies tied it in the bottom of the second on an error and a lazy popup that was lost in the sun. Maholm pitched five innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.

For the Pirates, the opening game against the Cleveland Indians turned into their fifth straight loss and second straight defeat by a score of 5-4. Ian Snell fell to 2-8 on the season in a 2 2/3-inning outing that saw him give up four hits, four earned runs and three walks. The four-run third for the Indians, plus a solo run in the sixth, almost fell apart as the Bucs' bats finally came alive in the last of the ninth for four runs but it wasn't enough.