Oneil Cruz slugged a two-run home run, stole a base and scored twice, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 win over the host Miami Marlins on Friday night.
On Opening Day on Thursday, Cruz went 0-for-4 with two fielding miscues but redeemed himself on Friday with his first homer of the season.
Pirates closer David Bednar, who took the walk-off loss on Opening Day, gave up a two-run shot to Otto Lopez in the ninth inning Friday but retired the next three batters to earn the save.
Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (1-0) earned the win, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings. He is 2-0 in his career against Miami.
In his first career start, Marlins right-hander Connor Gillispie (0-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks in five innings. He also struck out four.
In the fourth, Gillispie was hit on his pitching hand on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ 99-mph grounder but stayed in the game.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the fourth. Cruz walked, stole second and advanced on catcher Liam Hicks’ throwing error. After a walk to Joey Bart, Cruz scored on Andrew McCutchen’s double to center.
On that play, center fielder Derek Hill’s throw to the infield hit Lopez in the face. Lopez remained in the game and later hit his first homer of the season.
Two batters later, Adam Frazier lofted a sacrifice fly to fairly shallow right field. Right fielder Griffin Conine did not make a strong throw home, and the ball was cut off.
The Pirates doubled their lead to 4-0 in the fifth. Tommy Pham reached on third baseman Graham Pauley’s fielding error, one of four errors by the Marlins. Cruz followed by pulling a line-drive homer down the right-field line, with an exit velocity of 115 mph.
Miami scored in the fifth after the Pirates went to the dugout thinking the inning was over.
With two outs and the bases empty, Hill was called out at first on a slow roller to Hayes. The Marlins asked for a video review and the call was reversed.
Pauley then smoked an RBI double over the glove of first baseman Endy Rodriguez.
That cut the deficit to 4-1, and the Marlins trailed 4-3 after Matt Mervis walked and Lopez homered in the ninth off Bednar.
-Field Level Media
