MIAMI (AP) — Ke’Bryan Hayes had a single and an RBI double, and the Pittsburgh Pirates used another solid pitching outing to beat the Marlins 7-2 on Friday night.
Michael A. Taylor and Connor Joe also doubled for the Pirates, who beat the Marlins in front of 13,636 people at loanDepot park — a sharp decline in attendance from the crowd of 32,564 on opening day. Marlins games have typically been among the fewest attended in MLB for years, but Thursday’s opening-day home crowd was Miami’s largest since 2016.
Starter Martín Pérez held the Marlins to one run through four innings, allowing six hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Ryder Ryan (1-0) replaced Pérez in the fifth and pitched 1 2/3 innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts. Josh Flemming limited Miami to one hit in the seventh and eighth before giving up back-to-back singles starting the ninth. He then retired Jonah Bride on a popout, and Christian Bethancour and reigning NL batting champion Luis Arraez on groundouts
Jake Burger drove in Miami’s first run with a single in the third that scored Arraez, who remains hitless in the series. Burger had his second straight-multihit game, but the Marlins have been hurt by grounding into seven double plays this season.
Miami’s A.J. Puk (0-1) struggled in his first big league start, giving up three hits, four runs and six walks in two innings. Puk went 7-5 in 58 relief appearances last season but was moved to the rotation because of injuries.
Puk walked three of his first four batters in the second around a single, forcing in the game’s first run with a free pass to Jared Triolo. Bryan Hoeing replaced Puk and gave up two hits and a run with four strikeouts over four innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Colin Holderman, on the 15-day IL with an illness, began a rehab assignment Friday night with Triple-A Indianapolis and allowed three runs, two hits and a walk in two-third of an inning against Louisville. He threw 24 pitches.
UP NEXT
RHP Jared Jones will start for the Pirates on Saturday, while the Marlins will send LHP Ryan Weathers.
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