Marlins edge Pirates in battle of NL’s worst teams
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Miguel Cabrera doubled twice and Scott Olsen bounced back from his worst start of the season to strike out nine over six innings, leading the Florida Marlins past the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Saturday night in a matchup of the NL’s two worst teams. The Marlins became the last team in the majors to reach double digits in victories, winning their 10th in 34 games and only their second in eight. The Pirates lost their major league-high 26th in 37 games despite Jose Bautista’s first career home run.
The left-handed Olsen (2-2) gave up Bautista’s two-run drive in the second and Craig Wilson’s run-scoring triple in the sixth, but also pitched out of several jams. He got Wilson to fly out with two runners on in the third, then struck out three in a row in the sixth_ Jeromy Burnitz, Ronny Paulino and Jose Castillo – to strand Wilson at third.
Matt Herges and Logan Kensing pitched a scoreless relief inning apiece before Joe Borowski finished up in the ninth for his fifth save in as many opportunities. Kensing struck out Paulino to end the eighth with two runners on.
Pirates starter Zach Duke (2-3) gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings while dropping his second in a row since shutting out the Cubs 8-0 on May 2. He has allowed 16 hits and nine runs in 12 innings in the two losses, including a 5-4 defeat to Washington on Sunday.
Cabrera doubled following singles by Ramirez and Dan Uggla in the sixth, and the Marlins scored the go-ahead run that inning on Helms’ double play grounder.
Bautista’s first homer came in his 133rd career at-bat and his 17th since being called up from the minors on May 7.
He had 88 at-bats with four teams after being a Rule Five draft pick in 2004, then spent several weeks with the Pirates again last season.
The Marlins won for only the fifth time in 18 games in Pittsburgh since PNC Park opened in 2001 and the third time in 15 games there the last five seasons.
Notes: The Pirates are 1-13 in games started by opposing left-handed starters. … Florida’s 9-24 start was its worst since going 8-25 in 1995. … The Pirates have won consecutive games only twice this season. … Bautista’s homer is the only one against the Marlins in the last four games.