Cole allowed four runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out three batters over five innings during Saturday's win over the Mets. He didn't factor into the decision.
This was Cole's second underwhelming start in a row, as he's now surrendered nine runs through his past 9.2 innings while striking out just five batters. For the year, he sports a solid 3.65 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 7.4 K/9, and the 26-year-old righty should bounce back in short order from this tiny rough patch. Unfortunately, the Pirates offense projects to continue providing minimal run support, so piling up wins will probably remain a difficult task for Cole going forward. He next lines up for a road start against the Mets.