PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sandy Alcantara struck out six in six shutout innings, and the Miami Marlins edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Alcantara (3-7) allowed three hits and walked one in his first win since April 12. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner went 0-7 with a 9.07 ERA in his previous nine starts.
Calvin Faucher worked around a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth for his fifth save as the Marlins won for just the second time in nine games.
Nick Fortes hit his second homer of the season for Miami, a two-run shot off Mitch Keller (1-9) in the third. Eric Wagaman added two hits for the Marlins, including an RBI single in the fourth.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz homered against Miami reliever Ronny Henriquez to get the Pirates within one but it wasn’t enough as Pittsburgh’s season-high four-game win streak came to an end.
Keller allowed eight hits in six innings. The veteran right-hander is winless since beating the Marlins in his first start of the season on March 28.
The Pirates fell to 15-15 since Don Kelly replaced Derek Shelton as manager in early May.
Key moment
Faucher appeared wobbly after hitting Spencer Horwitz and giving up a single to Nick Gonzales to start the ninth. The Marlins caught a break, however, when pinch-runner Jared Triolo stumbled on Gonzales’ hit to right field, preventing him from attempting to head to third. Triolo ended the game on third base as the tying run.
Key stat
2.28 — the run support Keller has received this season, one of the main reasons he is 1-9 despite a respectable 4.15 ERA.
Up next
The series wraps up with a matinee on Wednesday. Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.63 ERA) starts for Miami against Pittsburgh’s Bailey Falter (4-3, 3.49 ERA).