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 But it was just that, thanks to at least six pitches fired up in and
by Marlins pitchers. Two Pirates players were hit by pitches --
first baseman Sean Rodriguez by Erik Cordier and left fielder
Starling Marte by Brian Ellington. Cordier was ejected.
In the end, Pittsburgh prevailed, beating Miami 5-2 on Monday night
at Marlins Park, but the Pirates were not thrilled by the brush-back
pitches.
Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco, who had a career-high four
hits, including two doubles, was understanding ... to a point.
"Outside pitches, everyone can hit," Polanco said in Spanish. "So
the pitchers try to throw inside so (hitters) can't get the barrel
on the ball.
"It wasn't bad intentions, but it bothered us a little bit because
it wasn't one ... it was three, four, five, six -- all the pitches
inside."
Aside from Polanco, the Pirates got six scoreless innings from
left-hander J.A. Happ, a two-run double by center fielder Andrew
McCutchen and Mark Melancon's 40th save of the season.
The Pirates (75-48) have won 10 of their past 12 games.
Miami (50-75) lost its fourth straight game.
Happ (2-1) allowed just four hits -- all singles -- and one walk,
striking out six. He allowed just one runner to get to second, and
none reached third.
"He worked both sides of the plate and had good sink on his
fastball," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Happ. "The
curveball-slider combination played extremely well. The changeup --
he created separation in terms of velocity.
"(Happ) had all four pitches working because of his high release
point and the angle it created."
Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler (8-12) allowed seven hits, four
walks and two runs in six innings. He worked out of a bases-loaded,
no-out jam in the fifth, giving up no runs in that frame.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring with McCutchen's two-out, two-run,
opposite-field double to right in the third inning.
The hit was payback for McCutchen. In the first inning, with a
runner on second, Koehler struck out McCutchen on a 78-mph changeup.
In the third, Koehler went off-speed again, but McCutchen was
waiting this time.
Pittsburgh extended its lead to 3-0 in the seventh. Marte led off
with his hit-by-pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and to
third on a 410-foot fly out to the center-field warning track by
McCutchen. Marte then scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman
Neil Walker.
Miami ended a 21-inning scoring drought -- which dated to Saturday
night -- by getting one run in the bottom of the seventh.
Center fielder Marcell Ozuna led off with a double off the wall in
left and came around to score on a groundout by catcher J.T.
Realmuto.
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In the eighth, Cordier was ejected just two pitches into his
appearance. Rodriguez, who was hit in the left hand, came around to
score on Polanco's RBI single.
"It concerned the umpires enough to throw the guy out," Hurdle said
of the hit-by-pitch. "Whether it's poor command ... it happens. But
there comes a point in time where it doesn't look right."The umpires
handled it accordingly, and we'll move on."
The Pirates made it 5-1 in the ninth when shortstop Jordy Mercer
worked a bases-loaded walk in the ninth off ex-Pittsburgh reliever
Bryan Morris.
Melancon, who entered the game with no outs and runners on the
corners in the bottom of the ninth, got two groundouts, including a
double-play ball, to end the game.
After the game, the Marlins were miffed at the Cordier ejection.
"The ball just got away from me," Cordier said. "It happens from
time to time. There was no malicious intent at all. I'm friends with
a good portion of the guys over there. I'm not sure why (the umpire)
pulled the trigger like that."
Marlins manager Dan Jennings was equally confused.
"I thought (the ejection) was too quick," Jennings said. "We had a
young pitcher, and he missed his spot up and in.
"We had nine walks. I think they had 17 at-bats with runners in
scoring position. We sure as hell didn't want to add to that. Again,
I don't understand the ejection."
NOTES: Miami's Triple-A team, the New Orleans Zephyrs, snapped a
franchise-record 15-game losing streak on Monday. ... Pirates SS
Jordy Mercer (sprained left knee) made his first start since landing
on the disabled list on July 19. ... Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett (right
elbow), who hasn't pitched since July 30, is scheduled to throw a
bullpen session on Tuesday. ... Marlins LF Christian Yelich (bruised
right knee) said he has targeted Tuesday for his hoped-for return
from the disabled list. On Monday, Yelich shagged fly balls for the
first time since his injury. ... On Thursday, Marlins RHP Jose
Fernandez (strained right biceps) will throw his first bullpen
session since going on the disabled list. He hopes to return early
next month. ... When the Marlins were beaten Sunday by Phillies
rookie RHP Aaron Nola, it hit a nerve for fans. Nola, who played for
LSU, was picked seventh in the 2014 draft, five spots ahead of
Marlins prospect RHP Tyler Kolek, who is 4-10 with a 4.44 ERA in
Class A ball.
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