Pirates Drop Game, Series to Marlins in High-Scoring Affair

After scoring five runs early, the Pirates were quiet for seven innings while allowing the Marlins to score consistently. In the end the Miami Marlins took game three and thus the series by a score of 10-7. With the loss, the Pittsburgh Pirates fall to a 61-79 record with 22 games to go on the year.

Right-handed youngster Dario Agrazal struggled out of the gate, allowing a single and hitting a batter to start. Former Pirate and Pittsburgh kid Neil Walker capitalized with an RBI single to give the Fish a quick 1-0.

Second year starter Elieser Hernandez made Agrazal look fantastic though, as he allowed five runs (three earned) in the bottom of the first frame. After a leadoff single by Kevin Newman, Bryan Reynolds stay hot and crushed a two-run homer to center field. The Bucs poured it on with a double, single, flyout, an RBI double, walk and hit-by-pitch after that. With two outs, Agrazal reached on a brutal throwing error by second baseman Isan Diaz, scoring two more. When the dust settled, it was 5-1 Pirates after one inning.

After a leadoff homer by Harold Ramirez in the top of the second inning, Agrazal calmed down, throwing clean third and fourth innings. The Bucs offense was also quiet during that span, keeping the score at 5-2 heading into the fifth inning. During an otherwise eventless fourth inning, it was fun watching journeyman Brian Moran make his MLB debut in an inning of relief against his younger brother’s ball club. Even more entertaining was watching Moran collect his first career strikeout against the Pirates’ Colin Moran. I’m sure Brian will hold that over his younger brother’s head for the rest of their lives.

In the top of the 5th, things unraveled. as Agrazal allowed a double, walk, and a bloop single to load the bases with no outs. Walker then drove in a run with a groundout, Another single loaded the bases once more, and Diaz tied the game with a two-run single of his own. Agrazal was pulled for Michael Feliz at that point, but a fielding error by catcher Elias Diaz allowed another run to score, giving Miami a 6-5 lead.

While the Pirates stayed quiet in their halves of the fifth and sixth innings, the Marlins tacked on two more off of Geoff Hartlieb. The up-and-down reliever walked in one run and then another run was charged to him after Yacksel Rios allowed yet another Walker RBI groundout. Marlins up 8-5.

The Marlins added more again in the eighth off of reliever Parker Markel. The 28-year-old allowed the first batter to reach on a wild pitch third strike, allowed a single to Starlin Castro, and after intentionally walking Walker with one out, Jorge Alfaro came through with a two-run single up the middle. The Marlins doubled up the Bucs 10-5.

Pittsburgh finally made a little noise in the ninth inning to avoid being shut out for the remainder of the game on solo homers by Bryan Reynolds (his second of the game and 16th on the year) and Josh Bell (his 36th on the year). However the rally ended there, and the Fish took this one and the series. The Bucs get right back at it on Friday when they welcome in the Cardinals for a three game series at PNC Park. First pitch will be at 7:05 pm Easter, and Joe Musgrove will take on Miles Mikolas.