Fernando Rodney completed the five-hitter, working around a two-out walk in the ninth. Following a successful sacrifice bunt from Urena, Dee Gordon laid down a bunt of his own and reached first without a throw.Gordon stole second and Martin Prado grounded out to advance him to third and score Hechavarria, tying the game at 2-2.Vogelsong, who had not allowed a hit in his previous three innings, walked Yelich before tossing a wild pitch through catcher Eric Fryer, allowing Gordon to trot home from third and giving Miami a 3-2 lead after five innings.Since returning from an eye injury on August 4, Vogelsong (2-3, 2.98) had been impressive in his past three starts and that was the case again Sunday, despite the loss.
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Miami Marlins’ Fernando Rodney, left, high-fives manager Don Mattingly after they defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016.
Josh Bell, the fielder- Sunday’s game provided the Pirates and their fans with an extensive look at the promising rookie playing first base. He had not gone more than 5 1/3 innings or thrown more than 90 pitches in his previous three starts. “The last seven to 10 days or so, we feel like he got back to that spot, where he was doing the things that allowed to get called up and should allow him to be successful up here”. It’s very demanding what we ask our infielders to do positioning wise so to be able to go through that part of it.
“I think that (catcher Francisco Cervelli) did a good job with getting me back to my fastbal”, Kuhl said. His target is to throw four innings or 65 pitches … That really got my arm going. “I was able to get back to my fastball and be efficient in later innings”.
The Marlins are the first team out of the postseason picture, right behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card. He answered a leadoff single from Josh Harrison by retiring 13 consecutive batters. He struck out five of six at one point, including striking out the side in the third. He struck out Gregory Polanco and David Freese to start the fifth before walking Jaso. “We’re looking forward to watching him compete and contribute to the team defensively”. A double from Harrison was the only other hit he allowed. They’re hitting way too far apart so that’s minor. “You just keep pitching and do the best you can with what you’ve got”. “I got on a pretty good roll out of the windup”. “The same leg explosiveness isn’t there”, Huntington said of Kang, who was placed on the disabled list Saturday for left shoulder discomfort.
Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen inadvertently helped give the Marlins their 1-0 lead in the third when Dee Gordon’s fly ball clanked out of McCutchen’s glove for an error that allowed Rojas to score from second base. Josh Bell started at first base for the first time in his major league career one day after Pittsburgh recalled him from Triple-A Indianapolis. He has allowed five earned runs in three starts since returning from an eye injury on August 4. Kyle Barraclough allowed a run in the eighth, but still earned his 25th hold of the season.
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The Marlins squeeked out a wild, 3-2 win on Sunday as the Fish swept the Pirates in a critical series dripping with wildcard drama.
