Marlins play long ball in 3-1 win over Pirates
MIAMI (AP) – Juan Encarnacion and Damion Easley homered and rookie Jason Vargas pitched three scoreless innings following a second rain delay for his first major league victory, leading the Florida Marlins to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Encarnacion hit his 15th homer, a two-run shot in the fourth, off Ryan Vogelsong (0-1).
Easley hit a solo shot, his eighth, off Salomon Torres in the seventh.
Vargas (1-0), who allowed a one-out walk to Matt Lawton in the fifth, retired nine of the 10 batters he faced in his fourth appearance since being called up from Double-A Carolina on July 14.
He struck out five of the first six batters he faced after taking over from starter Ismael Valdez.
Pirates rookie Chris Duffy went 3-for-4, including an RBI single in the seventh. Duffy, who went 4-for-5 in Pittsburgh’s 6-3 win on Tuesday, singled and tripled in his first two at-bats to give him six consecutive hits.
Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 19 opportunities.
Florida won for the fifth time in seven games after having lost eight of nine.
The game started 40 minutes late as a result of a pregame downpour that caused puddles to form in the outfield of the normally quick-draining Dolphins Stadium turf.
Neither starter returned after a second cloudburst interrupted the game for 42 minutes midway through the third.
Rookie Pirates left-hander Zach Duke pitched two scoreless innings but didn’t return after the second delay to add to his string of 24 innings without allowing an earned run.
Valdes allowed four hits in three innings in his first start of the season.
NOTES: Torres, catcher Humberto Cota and third baseman Freddy Sanchez looked on in the seventh as Mike Lowell’s popup to the left of home plate landed just inside the third base line before the ball rolled foul. Lowell hit Torres’ next pitch into the left field corner and was initially ruled safe when he reached around second baseman Jose Castillo’s tag to grab the base but was out when he over slid. … Marlins first baseman Carlos Delgado went 0-for-3 with a walk to end a 12-game hitting streak. … Marlins pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.