Berti's RBI single in 11th lifts Marlins over Pirates
The four-game series concludes Sunday afternoon
The four-game series concludes Sunday afternoon
Jon Berti drove in the winning run with a single in the 11th inning, and the Miami Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Saturday.
Automatic runner Joey Wendle advanced to third on Nick Fortes’ sacrifice bunt before Berti hit a line drive to right against Angel Perdomo (1-1).
Yuli Gurriel’s sacrifice fly off Pirates closer David Bednar in the bottom of the 10th tied it at 3-all after Ke’Bryan Hayes put the Pirates ahead in the top half with an RBI single.
Luis Arraez homered and walked twice, Jacob Stallings had three hits and Andrew Nardi (5-1) struck out the side in a perfect 11th for the Marlins, who played before their second-largest home crowd of the season at 24,668. Arraez went 1 for 3 and his major league-leading average slipped a point to .401.
Andrew McCutchen doubled twice and had three walks for the Pirates. McCutchen’s first double in the sixth was the 400th of his career.
The Pirates were down to their last strike in the ninth, when rookie Nick Gonzales drew a walk against reliever Tanner Scott and scored from first on Jason Delay’s double that tied it 2-2. They erased a similar one-run deficit in the ninth Friday that snapped a 10-game losing streak.
Marlins starter Bryan Hoeing threw five no-hit innings of scoreless ball. Hoeing, who has alternated between starting and relieving since being promoted from the minors April 25, walked three and struck out two and was lifted after a season-high 65 pitches.
Arraez snapped a scoreless tie with his two-run shot in the fifth. He drove the second pitch from Pirates starter Osvaldo Bido over the wall in right for his second homer.
Berti reached on a leadoff single ahead of Arraez’s shot when the Pirates unsuccessfully challenged that left-fielder Josh Palacios controlled the ball with his diving attempt to catch Berti’s line drive.
The Pirates were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position until Carlos Santana’s RBI single off Dylan Floro in the eighth. McCutchen hit a double down the third base line and scored on Santana’s two-out line drive to left.
Bido gave up two runs, nine hits and struck out five in 5 2/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 1B-DH Ji Man Choi (strained left Achilles) went 1 for 2 in a rehab game with Double-A Altoona on Thursday.
Marlins: OF Avisaíl García (left back tightness) increased his running volume and weight workouts but has not transitioned to baseball activities.
UP NEXT
The four-game series concludes Sunday with RHP Johan Oviedo (3-7, 4.30) starting for the Pirates against Marlins RHP Eury Pérez (4-1, 1.54).