Jared Triolo has been heating up in August as Pirates face Rockies

What a month of August it's been for Jared Triolo.

The Pittsburgh Pirates infielder is on a tear through the first three weeks, slashing .303/.395/.439 through 20 games this month following a recall from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 1. He'll look to keep it going on Sunday when the Pirates go for a series sweep against the visiting Colorado Rockies.

Triolo had been optioned to the minor league club on July 11. At the time, he was averaging .158 at the and has only eight his in June.

"He's swinging the bat great, barreling balls," Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said recently. "Honestly, his swing throughout the year, he didn't have the results to show for it. I know he wished the results were there, but we're starting to see that. Driving the ball too, the homer and off the center-field wall, and you always know you're going to get great defense out of him."

The 27-year-old was key in the Pirates' 5-1 win on Saturday, delivering a two-run home run in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-0 and then knocking a triple and scoring their final run in the fifth on a double from Bryan Reynolds.

Pittsburgh has now won three in a row and four of its past five games.

The Pirates' bullpen also came through in the win, with Carmen Mlodzinski, Kyle Nicolas and Colin Holderman combining to hold Colorado scoreless from the fifth through the eighth innings.

"That's the foundation for us," Kelly said. "They've been so good all year. In baseball, you know you're going to have your blips, but they've been so good and giving us the chance to win so many games. Have shown that over the last three games."

Right-hander Paul Skenes (7-9, 2.16 ERA) will get the start for his second career outing against Colorado. The National League leader in ERA, Skenes made his first appearance with an 8-5 Pirates loss back on Aug. 2 and did not get a decision after allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in five innings.

The Rockies are expected to counter on Sunday with right-hander McCade Brown, who will be making his major league debut. The 25-year-old, who was a third-round pick by Colorado in the 2021 draft, arrives in the majors with a 4-2 record and 2.47 ERA in 20 starts in the minors this season at the Rockies' High-A and Double-A affiliates.

"These five to seven starts down the stretch, and we'll take (it) one at a time," Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said Friday. "That helps us going forward for our 26-man roster for next year: Is he going to be part of it, or is he going to need a little bit more time?

"He has power everything and a feel to pitch. ... We're excited to see him."

Brenton Doyle produced Colorado's lone run on Saturday with a two-out solo shot in the top of the ninth. He's found a groove in the second half, hitting .400 with a 1.099 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) in 27 games to lead all qualified National League players. It's a turnaround from the 82 games before the All-Star break, when he was batting .202. Overall, he's hitting .247 with a .694 OPS.

"Regardless of how I'm going offensively, I'm always going to play super hard out there on defense," Doyle said. "Confidence-wise, when you're going good on both sides of the ball, it makes everything easier and slows everything down."

--Field Level Media