Nick Fortes hit an early two-run home run and Sandy Alcantara pitched six shutout innings to help the Miami Marlins edge the host Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz each hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to give the Pirates a chance at a late comeback.
However, Marlins closer Calvin Faucher worked out of trouble in the ninth to pick up his fifth save and give the Marlins their second win in their past nine games.
Pittsburgh’s season-high four-game winning streak ended as Miami leveled the three-game series at one win apiece.
Alcantara (3-7) gave up three hits and walked one while striking out six on 85 pitches, ending a nine-start stretch in which he went 0-7. He lowered his ERA to 7.14.
Alcantara retired 10 consecutive batters from the last out of the third through the end of the sixth. Anthony Bender extended that streak to 13 by working a perfect seventh.
Hayes snapped it while leading off the eighth, belting his second homer of the season to left-center off reliever Ronny Henriquez, cutting Miami’s lead to 3-1. Two batters later, Cruz hit his 13th home run of the season to right-center. Henriquez then induced Andrew McCutchen to fly out to center and struck out Bryan Reynolds to end the inning.
Faucher hit Spencer Horwitz with his first pitch to start the ninth, and Nick Gonzales followed with a single. Pinch runner Jared Triolo and Gonzales moved to third and second on a groundout by Adam Frazier, but Faucher retired Henry Davis on a popup to short right field and struck out Hayes to end the game.
Fortes hit his second home run of the season in the third inning off Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-9), sneaking it just inside the left field foul pole to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.
Otto Lopez singled to lead off the fourth and then came around to score on a single by Eric Wagaman to make it 3-0. Wagaman and teammate Dane Myers each had two hits.
Keller gave up three runs on eight hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk in six innings.
Before the game, the Marlins recalled right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar from Triple-A Jacksonville.
–Field Level Media
