MIAMI — Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (75-48) vs. Miami Marlins (50-75), 7:10 p.m., Marlins Park
Pitchers: RHP Charlie Morton (8-4, 4.06) vs. LHP Brad Hand (3-3, 4.46)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Update 4:30 p.m.: The Pirates announced that Pedro Florimon has been assigned to Class AAA Indianapolis. He had to clear waivers first.
Matt’s five pregame notes:
• The usual left-handed lineup isn’t quite there today — Clint Hurdle said Jung Ho Kang‘s “reverse splits” went into the decision to sit him — but the infield is still chock full of righties with Aramis Ramirez at third, Jordy Mercer at short, Josh Harrison at second and Michael Morse at first.
“It’s nice to get out there and get some at-bats piled up,” Mercer said shortly after seeing his name in the starting nine for the second consecutive game. “That’s how you get in the groove. The hitting’s gonna come back quicker than the defensive stuff. The lateral movements are tough.”
• Mercer and Harrison start together for the first time since they returned from their overlapping Triple-A stints over the weekend. The two commiserated while rehabbing their injuries: a sprained knee for Mercer and a torn thumb ligament for Harrison.
“Good to have a guy like that around to share your thoughts with,” Mercer said. “And to be able to go back and spend some time with the young kids put things in perspective. You realize all the hard work you put in to realize your dream in the major leagues.”
• Last night, Antonio Bastardo started the ninth with the Pirates ahead by four, but Mark Melancon finished the inning after the first two Marlins singled. Hurdle said the arrival of a save situation influenced his decision, making it twice in a week he pulled Bastardo in that spot.
“It’s a hard job,” Hurdle said. “You’re almost asking them to pitch clean if it’s a four-run lead. I told (Bastardo) last night, ‘You threw strikes. You did what we asked you to do.’ He’s done a very good job, but when it flips to a save situation, I want our guy in.”
• After three days off, Jared Hughes pitched the seventh inning last night and allowed a run, with Marcell Ozuna lining a double off the left-field wall. Opponents are hitting .311 against Hughes since the All-Star break, part of the reason behind giving him a longer break than normal between games.
The Pirates’ goal is finding a balance between rest and repetition for Hughes, who is tied with Melancon for the team lead in appearances with 61.
“He’s gone through some sequences where (workload) might have taken some sink out of the ball,” Hurdle said. “But sometimes sinkers straighten out when a guy is feeling strong. It’s the consistency, the feel. If we can keep him in a position where the usage is consistent, we’ll see the sink.”
• A.J. Burnett threw a two-inning simulated game this afternoon without incident. He is scheduled for a three-inning workout Sunday at PNC Park.
“He’s still got work to do,” Hurdle said when asked about Burnett’s possible return to the rotation. Burnett has been on the disabled list since July 31 with a strained flexor tendon in his right elbow.
Follow the game with Matt:
7:10: The Pirates are in their road grays(!) with “Pittsburgh” across the chest in black and gold lettering. The Marlins sport their home whites again, which interestingly have “Miami” on the front instead of the team nickname.
First pitch from Hand to Gregory Polanco is a ball.
7:17: The Rammer rams one to right field, scoring McCutchen, who had doubled with two outs. 1-0 Pirates four batters into the game.
7:38: Morton showing off some uncanny swerve to his pitches tonight. #ElectricStuff is engaged through two innings.
7:55: Just witnessed one of the stranger plays of the year, as Starling Marte earned his MLB-leading 12th outfield assist in the most casual fashion. Adeiny Hechavarria attempted to stretch a double down the line into a triple, but Marte, standing straight up, essentially lobbed the ball to Ramirez for the out.
8:22: Justin Bour jams an RBI double inside the first-base line, even with Morse guarding the chalk. It’s 1-1 after four. That was the first earned run a Pirates starter has allowed in 23 innings.
8:35: The Marlins have their first lead of the series, 2-1, as Christian Yelich comes around to score on a McCutchen fielding error in the fifth.
8:37: Polanco turns in the Pirates’ second outfield assist at third base, throwing J.T. Realmuto out trying to advance on a medium-depth fly ball to right.
8:52: Dee Gordon strikes again. Miami’s leadoff man drops down a bunt single, steals his second base of the night, then comes home on Martin Prado‘s roped double down the left-field line. 3-1 Marlins and Ray Searage is out to talk to Morton.
8:55: And now Bour powers one through the shift for his second RBI double of the night. It’s 4-1 and Morton is done. Jared Hughes sprints in from the bullpen.
9:02: After a groundout, Yelich doubles in Bour. The Pirates have three innings to make up a 5-1 deficit.
9:11: The Pirates have 10 flyouts against Hand, who is through seven innings. Seems like some hittable pitches have been missed, but we’ll see what some of the hitters have to say in the postgame.
9:25: Woah. Gordon running wild. He gets two more stolen bases in the eighth to match a career game high with four.
9:40: Hand is out on the mound, trying for the complete game …
9:53: Hey, now. Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez to the plate against reliever A.J. Ramos, representing the tying run.
9:58: Game over, five-game road win streak over. After Alvarez’s RBI groundout, Sean Rodriguez pops out. Coverage to come.
August 25, 2015
Final: Marlins 5, Pirates 2
by Matt Gajtka • Game previews • Pirates
MIAMI — Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (75-48) vs. Miami Marlins (50-75), 7:10 p.m., Marlins Park
Pitchers: RHP Charlie Morton (8-4, 4.06) vs. LHP Brad Hand (3-3, 4.46)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Update 4:30 p.m.: The Pirates announced that Pedro Florimon has been assigned to Class AAA Indianapolis. He had to clear waivers first.
Matt’s five pregame notes:
• The usual left-handed lineup isn’t quite there today — Clint Hurdle said Jung Ho Kang‘s “reverse splits” went into the decision to sit him — but the infield is still chock full of righties with Aramis Ramirez at third, Jordy Mercer at short, Josh Harrison at second and Michael Morse at first.
“It’s nice to get out there and get some at-bats piled up,” Mercer said shortly after seeing his name in the starting nine for the second consecutive game. “That’s how you get in the groove. The hitting’s gonna come back quicker than the defensive stuff. The lateral movements are tough.”
• Mercer and Harrison start together for the first time since they returned from their overlapping Triple-A stints over the weekend. The two commiserated while rehabbing their injuries: a sprained knee for Mercer and a torn thumb ligament for Harrison.
“Good to have a guy like that around to share your thoughts with,” Mercer said. “And to be able to go back and spend some time with the young kids put things in perspective. You realize all the hard work you put in to realize your dream in the major leagues.”
• Last night, Antonio Bastardo started the ninth with the Pirates ahead by four, but Mark Melancon finished the inning after the first two Marlins singled. Hurdle said the arrival of a save situation influenced his decision, making it twice in a week he pulled Bastardo in that spot.
“It’s a hard job,” Hurdle said. “You’re almost asking them to pitch clean if it’s a four-run lead. I told (Bastardo) last night, ‘You threw strikes. You did what we asked you to do.’ He’s done a very good job, but when it flips to a save situation, I want our guy in.”
• After three days off, Jared Hughes pitched the seventh inning last night and allowed a run, with Marcell Ozuna lining a double off the left-field wall. Opponents are hitting .311 against Hughes since the All-Star break, part of the reason behind giving him a longer break than normal between games.
The Pirates’ goal is finding a balance between rest and repetition for Hughes, who is tied with Melancon for the team lead in appearances with 61.
“He’s gone through some sequences where (workload) might have taken some sink out of the ball,” Hurdle said. “But sometimes sinkers straighten out when a guy is feeling strong. It’s the consistency, the feel. If we can keep him in a position where the usage is consistent, we’ll see the sink.”
• A.J. Burnett threw a two-inning simulated game this afternoon without incident. He is scheduled for a three-inning workout Sunday at PNC Park.
“He’s still got work to do,” Hurdle said when asked about Burnett’s possible return to the rotation. Burnett has been on the disabled list since July 31 with a strained flexor tendon in his right elbow.
Follow the game with Matt:
7:10: The Pirates are in their road grays(!) with “Pittsburgh” across the chest in black and gold lettering. The Marlins sport their home whites again, which interestingly have “Miami” on the front instead of the team nickname.
First pitch from Hand to Gregory Polanco is a ball.
7:17: The Rammer rams one to right field, scoring McCutchen, who had doubled with two outs. 1-0 Pirates four batters into the game.
7:38: Morton showing off some uncanny swerve to his pitches tonight. #ElectricStuff is engaged through two innings.
7:55: Just witnessed one of the stranger plays of the year, as Starling Marte earned his MLB-leading 12th outfield assist in the most casual fashion. Adeiny Hechavarria attempted to stretch a double down the line into a triple, but Marte, standing straight up, essentially lobbed the ball to Ramirez for the out.
8:22: Justin Bour jams an RBI double inside the first-base line, even with Morse guarding the chalk. It’s 1-1 after four. That was the first earned run a Pirates starter has allowed in 23 innings.
8:35: The Marlins have their first lead of the series, 2-1, as Christian Yelich comes around to score on a McCutchen fielding error in the fifth.
8:37: Polanco turns in the Pirates’ second outfield assist at third base, throwing J.T. Realmuto out trying to advance on a medium-depth fly ball to right.
8:52: Dee Gordon strikes again. Miami’s leadoff man drops down a bunt single, steals his second base of the night, then comes home on Martin Prado‘s roped double down the left-field line. 3-1 Marlins and Ray Searage is out to talk to Morton.
8:55: And now Bour powers one through the shift for his second RBI double of the night. It’s 4-1 and Morton is done. Jared Hughes sprints in from the bullpen.
9:02: After a groundout, Yelich doubles in Bour. The Pirates have three innings to make up a 5-1 deficit.
9:11: The Pirates have 10 flyouts against Hand, who is through seven innings. Seems like some hittable pitches have been missed, but we’ll see what some of the hitters have to say in the postgame.
9:25: Woah. Gordon running wild. He gets two more stolen bases in the eighth to match a career game high with four.
9:40: Hand is out on the mound, trying for the complete game …
9:53: Hey, now. Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez to the plate against reliever A.J. Ramos, representing the tying run.
9:58: Game over, five-game road win streak over. After Alvarez’s RBI groundout, Sean Rodriguez pops out. Coverage to come.