Mitch Keller tossed seven strong innings and Jake Marisnick hit a two-run homer as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates opened a four-game series against the Miami Marlins with a 5-1 win on Monday.
Marisnick also doubled and scored two runs in his first game since undergoing left thumb surgery on May 12. Diego Castillo drove in two runs and Kevin Newman added three hits for Pittsburgh, which improved to 4-2 midway through its 12-game road trip.
Keller (3-6) earned his first victory since May 31 after allowing one run on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in the longest outing of his four-season career. Yerry De Los Santos pitched 1 1/3 scoreless inning, striking out four, for his third save.
Avisail Garcia drove in a run and Joey Wendle had two of the Marlins’ five hits. Miami has lost four of its past six games.
The Pirates took an early lead with two runs in the first inning against Trevor Rogers (4-8). After Newman and Ke’Bryan Hayes opened the game with back-to-back singles, Rogers struck out the next two batters before Castillo delivered a two-run single.
Pittsburgh added a run in the second when Newman’s two-out double scored Marisnick, who had walked before stealing second.
Rogers allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out seven.
Miami scored its lone run in the sixth against Keller. Garrett Cooper doubled with one out, Jesus Aguilar struck out, and Garcia followed with a run-scoring single to left field.
The Marlins threatened with two runners on and two outs in the eighth, but De Los Santos struck out Garcia to end the inning.
The Pirates added to their lead in the ninth on Marisnick’s two-run blast against Jimmy Yacabonis. The 419-foot shot was Marisnick’s first homer of the season.
Before the game, the Pirates placed center fielder Bryan Reynolds on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. Marisnick took his roster spot.
–Field Level Media