Jared Triolo blooped an RBI single to right in the top of the 12th inning, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates rally to a 6-5 Opening Day win over the host Miami Marlins on Thursday.
The Pirates got 6 1/3 scoreless innings from their bullpen, including Luis L. Ortiz (1-0), who earned the win, and Jose Hernandez, who posted the save. Hernandez got the last out on Bryan De La Cruz’s fly to the warning track in right.
Pittsburgh hit three home runs, including a two-run shot by Bryan Reynolds. A pair of solo blasts — Edward Olivares’ pinch-hit shot in the seventh and Oneil Cruz’s game-tying dinger in the eighth — helped the Pirates rally from down 5-2.
Declan Cronin (0-1) took the loss despite allowing no earned runs in three innings. He intentionally walked Cruz to get to Triolo, whose hit with two outs scored automatic runner Ke’Bryan Hayes before Cruz was thrown out at home.
Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo left the game with a three-run lead but didn’t get a decision. In five innings, he struck out eight and allowed two hits, two walks and two runs. Jake Burger led Miami’s offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Miami opened the scoring in the second with a pair of runs, including one on Tim Anderson’s opposite-field RBI double down the line in right. That was the first at-bat in Anderson’s Marlins career.
Pittsburgh tied the score in the third as Connor Joe walked and Reynolds smoked a 406-foot homer to left. At 107.5 mph, it was the hardest-hit ball of the game.
Miami surged back on top 4-2 in the bottom of the third on Burger’s two-run single to left.
The Marlins scratched for a run in the fifth as Josh Bell walked, advanced on De La Cruz’s single and Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s flyout to right before scoring on Burger’s sacrifice fly.
Pittsburgh cut its deficit to 5-4 in the seventh. Olivares started the inning with his 413-foot homer to center off reliever Andrew Nardi. The Pirates’ rally continued as Michael A. Taylor singled, advanced to third on Reynolds’ double and scored on Andrew McCutchen’s groundout.
In the eighth, Miami brought in reliever Sixto Sanchez, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since his rookie year of 2020 due to arm trouble. Sanchez allowed a homer to Cruz on just his second pitch, tying the score 5-5.
–Field Level Media