MIAMI — Wednesday’s game presented the Pirates with an interesting contradiction.
Miami Marlins starter Chris Narveson had somewhat of a limited pitch count based on his workload entering the game. But it became apparent early that he was throwing hittable pitches. Work counts or pounce?
The Pirates did both. They scored six runs in the second inning and beat the Marlins, 7-2, at Marlins Park. Gerrit Cole starts today’s final game of the four-game series, of which the Pirates (76-49) won two of the first three. They have won 11 of their past 14 games and are 16-7 in August.
Manager Clint Hurdle, who has to decide between four infielders for two spots and five for three if you include Neil Walker, pulled the right levers Wednesday. He put Josh Harrison in right field and Michael Morse at first, sitting left-handers Gregory Polanco and Pedro Alvarez against the left-handed Narveson. Aramis Ramirez started at third, Jung Ho Kang at shortstop.
“It is more than guessing,” Hurdle said. “We’ve got reports, we’ve got metrics, we’ve got matchups. You watch, you use your eyes on how guys are swinging the bat and then you go accordingly.”
Every regular got a hit except for Ramirez, who walked twice. Harrison, who led off, walked twice. Andrew McCutchen had a three-run homer and an RBI double. Morse and Walker also doubled.
“I thought we did a very professional job,” Hurdle said. “Guys that needed to work counts, I think, did. Harrison, especially at the top. McCutchen, both his hits were with two strikes. He saw some pitches. After that we got some balls that were elevated and in some good spots for us.”
Jeff Locke pitched seven innings, breaking a streak of six consecutive starts where he did not finish six, and allowed two runs. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out three, improving his record to 7-8.
During that six-start streak, Locke had a 6.39 ERA.
“Frustrating at times, of course,” Locke said. “We have such a good ballclub. You don’t really want to have any question marks in the rotation, especially at this point in the season. I feel like the way I’ve pitched, I’ve kind of been that for a little while.”
Click the image above to explore our 2015 season tracker and check out how the Pirates have fared so far, game by game. (Post-Gazette)
Narveson (1-1) started a major league game for the first time since April 15, 2012. He spent the 2014 season with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, posting a 4.53 ERA in 24 starts. This year, Narveson, 33, began the season on the minor league disabled list because of a sprained elbow after signing a minor league contract with the Marlins in December.
In the minors, Narveson pitched out of the bullpen and in the rotation, but he served only in relief when promoted to the majors Aug. 5. That night he threw 44 pitches in 3⅔ innings, both season highs.
McCutchen doubled to send home Harrison in the first inning. The Pirates sent 10 men to the plate in the second.
Leadoff batter Morse doubled. Walker followed with a run-scoring double. Chris Stewart hit an RBI single, and though Locke bunted into a force-out, he reached base.
Harrison walked again. Starling Marte added an RBI single before McCutchen squared up an 84-mph pitch over the middle of the plate. His 20th home run landed 414 feet away in left field and the Pirates led, 7-1.
“It was good that we were able to get out and get on the board early,” McCutchen said. “We’d been looking for something like that, we know we’re capable of doing that on a regular basis.”
Locke allowed a first-inning homer to Martin Prado and an RBI groundout in the second after Marcell Ozuna’s double, but nothing more.
“The overall command, it got sharper as the game went on,” Hurdle said. “He held serve early and then got better the last three frames.”
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: August 27, 2015, 2:08 a.m.
