Endy Rodriguez came back to the majors and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates open their homestand with a 7-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night at PNC Park. Rodriguez had two hits and drove in two runs, delivering a double in the second inning and a two-run single in the third.

It was Rodriguez’s first big league game since June 6, 2025, after he missed all of 2024 and most of last season because of a pair of elbow injuries. His return came on a night when Pittsburgh’s offense kept rolling around him. Ryan O’Hearn had three hits, including a two-run homer in the first inning, his eighth homer of the season. Oneil Cruz doubled to left in the first and later scored on an RBI single by Bryan Reynolds, and Konnor Griffin and Jared Triolo added two hits each as the Pirates reached a 6-0 lead early.

That cushion was enough for Carmen Mlodzinski, who allowed two runs in five innings for Pittsburgh. Don Kelly also worked the matchup carefully, using Mason Montgomery and Evan Sisk early to handle the lefty-heavy part of Colorado’s lineup. The Rockies’ night got tougher when Chase Dollander was pulled just two batters into the second inning because of what the club described as right arm tightness.

Dollander’s exit left Colorado chasing from behind, and Troy Johnston’s two-run double was not nearly enough to change the result. Pittsburgh has now taken two of three from the Rockies to begin a six-game homestand, while Colorado lost for the sixth time in its last seven games at PNC Park. The Pirates were scheduled to host Philadelphia in a three-game series starting Friday, and the Rockies were set to return home to face Arizona in a three-game set beginning the same day.

For Pittsburgh, the game was more than a clean win in the standings. It was a reminder of what Rodriguez can add if he stays on the field. For Colorado, the concern is less about one loss than the arm issue that ended Dollander’s night before the second inning was over.