Pirates lose four starters to injuries, fall in 12th inning

Still, they found themselves in extra innings before eventually coming up short.

Christian Yelich hit a game-winning double in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Miami Marlins to a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

''We've always got guts,'' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. ''I don't expect anything different from these guys. And when it gets more challenging, it's when they continue to show up. We fight, scratch and claw together. That effort has become a part of who we are.''

Pittsburgh had four players leave the game with injuries including Andrew McCutchen. Francisco Cervelli, David Freese and Jordy Mercer left after getting hit by pitches.

''It's spray command,'' Hurdle said. ''It's a team looking to find some identity on pitching end up not having good command.''

Cervelli said: ''It was like the ER here. The doctors of the other team were very busy today. It was a crazy day.''

Pittsburgh won the first game of the series 10-0 on Monday before the Marlins won the final three, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-3.

''It's time to move on,'' Hurdle said.

Yelich doubled to deep right-center field off A.J. Schugel (1-2) with two outs in the 12th to score Martin Prado from first without a throw home.

''Just looking for something good to hit and drive,'' Yelich said. ''I got a good pitch, found a gap, and Martin (Prado) was able to score.''

Yelich's hit was the first for the Marlins since the fourth inning.

Nick Wittgren (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings in relief and struck out three to earn his first career victory.

Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, scored a run, stole a base, and had two impressive defensive plays in center field for the Marlins. He has 2,965 career hits moving into sole possession of 31st on MLB's all-time list.

John Jaso hit a game-tying single with two outs in the top of the ninth on a 3-2 pitch from Kyle Barraclough.

Marlins starter Wei-Yen Chen didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning with the Marlins leading 3-0. Jung Ho Kang doubled to lead off the seventh and Chen walked the next batter, ending his night. Both runners scored on a two-out, two-run double by Matt Joyce off Dustin McGowan to cut the Pirates' deficit to 3-2.

Chen pitched six-plus innings, allowed one hit and two runs. He walked five and struck out three.

''Wei-Yin was good tonight,'' Mattingly said. ''He was aggressive. These guys are a good-hitting club. You've got to be able to get the ball in there. They like the ball out over the plate. I thought he did a nice job of changing speeds. Early in the game it looked like his slider and change-up was sharp and right there when it ended it seemed like he ran out of steam just a little bit.''

Suzuki helped keep the no-hitter intact with a diving catch in right-center field in the second taking a hit away from Juan Nicasio and he made a leaping catch against the center-field wall on a ball hit by Kang.

It was the second consecutive day a Marlins pitched held the Pirates without a hit to start the game. Adam Conley did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning.

Miguel Rojas' squeeze bunt opened the scoring for Miami.

Giancarlo Stanton's RBI double and J.T. Realmuto's sacrifice fly pushed the Marlins' lead to 3-0 in the third.

Nicasio allowed three runs in six innings.

 

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: McCutchen (right thumb) lined out in the sixth and then left the game between innings. ''It's something I've been dealing with for a while,'' McCutchen said. ''I couldn't take any longer after my last at bat. Repeatedly, I get balls in and I've been getting jammed. It just flared up on me after my last at bat. They came out and checked it and it was just swollen.'' ... Cervelli (right foot) left the game in the bottom of the third after being hit by a pitch thrown by Chen in the top of the second. ''Everything is negative, just a bruise,'' Cervelli said. ... Freese (right hand) was hit by a pitch in the top of the eighth, stayed in to run, but was replaced in between innings. ... Mercer (left elbow) was hit by a pitch in the ninth and scored the tying run before leaving the game between innings.

Marlins: 2B Derek Dietrich (left wrist) left Wednesday's game after being hit with a pitch and did not play Thursday.

 

UP NEXT

Pirates: LHP Francisco Liriano (4-4, 4.63 ERA) will start Friday's game against RHP Jered Weaver (4-4, 4.50) and the Los Angeles Angels.

Miami: RHP Tom Koehler (3-5, 4.50) will start against the New York Mets and RHP Noah Syndergaard (5-2, 1.84).