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PITTSBURGH -- It was a game that went from a potential no-hitter to a pitchers' duel to the Tampa Bay Rays salvaging a win as a reward for starter Alex Cobb's strong outing. Tampa Bay blew a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth after Cobb exited, but the Rays scored twice in the top of the 10th off of normally reliable Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero for a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh on Tuesday night at PNC Park.
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Cobb got a no-decision despite a gem of a game. He was a little better than Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams, who also got a no-decision.
Cobb had a no-hitter through six innings. In eight innings, he struck out four and walked one while yielding just two hits.
"Our outlook as pitchers doesn't really change much," Cobb said. "I think if you have a blowout game that you're fortunate to be on the right side, you go and attack the (strike) zone a little bit more. But pitchers' duel, or a three-, four-run lead, I don't think your approach changes that much. You never want to get hit out there. You're always doing your best to get outs and induce contact and get quick outs so you can work deeper into the game."
Steven Souza led off the 10th with a single up the middle. He scored to make it 3-2 when a grounder by Wilson Ramos went off the glove of third baseman David Freese for an error.
"I just booted the ball," Freese said. "It was good (hop). I just chose to backhand it, thinking it would give me a stronger throw wherever it was going. I just botched it. I've got to make the play and keep us alive."
After Tim Beckham walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Ramos scored on Adeiny Hechavarria's sacrifice fly to left.
Rivero (3-2), recently converted to Pittsburgh's closer, saw his ERA rise from 0.68 to 0.88.
Tampa Bay reliever Tommy Hunter pitched a flawless 10th for his first save.
The Pirates (35-42) scored twice in the ninth on Andrew McCutchen's one-out, two-run double against closer Alex Colome (2-3) to tie the game 2-2 and send it into extra innings. Although he blew the save, Colome got the win.
On Sunday, Colome gave up three runs in a loss against the Baltimore Orioles.
"Alex had a rough inning. He's had a rough couple of outings," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Not going to read too much into it. He's allowed to go through some lumps, just like a lot of our players are. He'll get through it. We're confident in that."
Cobb is moving in the other direction. Eight of his past 11 outings have been quality starts.
"You tip your hat. He was a craftsman out there," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Cobb. "He was spotting that fastball, and throwing that breaking ball makes the fastball click so much better."
Williams struck out seven -- matching his career high for the second start in a row -- over seven-plus innings. He allowed six hits and no walks, giving up a run in the fourth and another in the eighth.
Williams was more than magnanimous after watching what Cobb did.
"He threw a great game, there's no doubt about that," Williams said. "Baseball is a game of inches. It's unfortunate (Cobb) didn't get the win today for what he did pitching on the mound."
Tampa Bay (41-38) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Corey Dickerson led off with a single to right-center, went to third an out later on Logan Morrison's single to the same spot and scored on Souza's fielder's choice.
Josh Harrison broke up Cobb's no-hit attempt when he led off the seventh with a base hit up the middle. McCutchen followed with a single to the same spot, moving Harrison to second. Harrison went to third on Josh Bell's double-play grounder and was stranded there when Freese's grounder to third ended the inning.
The Rays doubled their lead and chased Williams in the eighth.
Beckham led off with a double down the left-field line and scored to make it 2-0 when Hechavarria -- playing in his first game with Tampa Bay -- hit a chopper that bounced high off the glove of a leaping Freese at third.
Reliever Juan Nicasio then came in and got Pittsburgh out of the inning.
NOTES: Tampa activated SS Adeiny Hechavarria (left oblique strain) from the disabled list, and he started. Hechavarria was acquired Monday from Miami. ... 2B Tim Beckham moved from shortstop with the addition of Hechavarria. ... Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen moved from sixth to third in the batting order, trading spots with RF Gregory Polanco. ... Pittsburgh recalled LHP Antonio Bastardo (left quad strain) from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis and reinstated him from the 10-day disabled list. ... The Pirates optioned C Jacob Stallings to Indianapolis.
