Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole had great stuff in his team's 5-2 win over the Marlins on Wednesday.
Cole (7-2) tossed seven innings, struck out seven batter and allowed just two earned runs in the win.
"It's a big deal. Free passes tend to hurt you," Cole said to MLB.com. "For the most part, just attacking guys and staying down in the zone and forcing early contact keeps guys uncomfortable. It stops rallies."
Cole's two earned runs came on one-run home runs by Justin Bour and Christian Yelich. In 64 innings this season, Cole has allowed just 15 earned runs.