Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole took the loss in Wednesday's Game 5 defeat at the hands of the Cardinals, giving up two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings as the Cardinals advanced to the National League Championship Series with a 6-1 win.
Cole was pulled after just five innings not due to any perceived struggles; rather, the team brought in a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and turned the game over to the bullpen, which would allow four more runs in the loss. Cole pitched well in his first postseason experience, going 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB ratio in 11 innings over two starts.