PHILADELPHIA -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are seeing Gerrit Cole evolve into an ace, and left fielder Starling Marte evolve into a clean-up hitter.

Cole pitched seven strong innings and Marte hit a three-run homer as the Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Monday night.

Cole, who suffered his first loss of the season in his last start, allowed two runs and six hits. He struck out six, walked two and hit a batter while improving to 5-1.

He also improved to 9-1 over his last 12 starts, matching the Los Angeles Dodgers' Zack Greinke for the major leagues' most victories in that span. Cole is also 5-0 over his last seven road outings.

"He's maturing every time he takes the mound," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Each game he pitches he's gaining more experience."

Cole said he is "just sticking to the process, and not worried about the results." He also said his goal is "not letting innings spiral out of control."

As he put it, "Ones, zeroes, those are good. Crooked numbers get you in trouble."

Marte's three-run homer in the third gave the Pirates the lead for good at 3-1. He has been hitting fourth in the order for the last week, and to date, Hurdle likes what he sees.

"He's aggressive and dangerous," the manager said. "He turned out to be dangerous tonight."

Center fielder Andrew McCutchen also drove in a run for Pittsburgh (16-16), which has won three straight and four of five.

Right fielder Grady Sizemore drove in two runs for the Phillies (11-22), and rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera hit his first major league home run, a solo shot in the ninth off Pirates closer Mark Melancon.

Philadelphia has dropped three in a row.

Phillies starter Jerome Williams (2-3) went five innings and yielded three runs and four hits, striking out four and walking two. He also hit a batter.

Jared Hughes pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Pittsburgh, while Melancon earned his eighth save despite allowing Herrera's homer.

Sizemore gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead by singling home a run in the first, but in the third, Williams walked right fielder Gregory Polanco and McCutchen. Then he hung a 1-2 curveball to Marte, who hit it into the left-field seats for his eighth homer of the season, putting the Pirates up 3-1.

The Phillies cut it to 3-2 when Sizemore drove in a run with a bloop single in the sixth, but McCutchen's seventh-inning sacrifice fly restored Pittsburgh's two-run lead.

NOTES: After the game the Phillies activated RHP Sean O'Sullivan from the disabled list and optioned 3B Cody Asche to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. O'Sullivan will start Tuesday against the Pirates, filling the spot vacated when RHP David Buchanan was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 2. In two starts for Philadelphia earlier this season, O'Sullivan went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. ... The Pirates placed LHP Antonio Bastardo on the paternity list and recalled LHP Bobby LaFromboise from Triple-A Indianapolis. ... RHP Aaron Nola, the Phillies' top pick in the 2014 draft (No. 7 overall) is 4-2 with a 2.04 ERA at Double-A Reading, but manager Ryne Sandberg said he has not heard any conversations within the organization about promoting Nola to Lehigh Valley.