The first five Marlins’ batters scored yesterday with two walks, two singles, and a grand slam by Jazz Chisholm, but the Pirates battled back for a stirring 10-inning win. The Bucs are 4-0 for the first time since 2018.
Bailey Falter started for the Pirates and lasted only four innings before being relieved by Luis Ortiz. Falter gave up six runs. The comeback began in the second inning when Alika Williams tripled home Jack Suwinski and Jared Triolo. Williams then scored on Bryan Reynolds’ infield single. In the fourth, Ke’Bryan Hayes singled in Connor Joe to make it 5-4 Marlins. After an Avisaíl Garcia home run made it 6-4 Miami in the fourth, Rowdy Telez launched a three-run home run to straightaway center field, giving the Pirates their first lead at 7-6. David Bednar gave up a game-tying home run to Nick Gordon in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings. In the tenth, Williams sacrificed the placed runner, Oneil Cruz, to third base, and reached first himself on an error, then a Jason Delay sacrifice bunt brought Cruz home with the lead run. Williams later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Michael A. Taylor.
In the bottom of the tenth, Hunter Stratton gave up a single to Josh Bell, then got a flyout and two strikeouts, the last one catching Jazz Chisholm looking, to secure the win for Bednar and give Stratton his first Major League save.
The Pirates are scheduled to play the Nationals in Washington this afternoon, then have tomorrow off before playing the Nats again on Wednesday and Thursday. They finally make it to Pittsburgh for the home opener on Friday against the Orioles.
This afternoon’s airtime from Washington is 3:40, with southpaw Marco Gonzalez scheduled to make his Pirates debut pitching against the Nats’ lefty MacKenzie Gore. It will be the Pirates fifth straight game facing a left-handed starting pitcher.
The Pirates activated Roansy Contreras from the paternity list yesterday and optioned reliever Jose Hernandez to Indianapolis. They also announced that outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba and catcher Ali Sanchez both cleared waivers and were assigned to Indy.
