(Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar / AP)
PNC Park — Josh Harrison sent a 1 – 1 fastball from left hander, Mike Dunn into the right-center field seats for a Pirates walk-off 4 – 3 victory on Tuesday night.
It completed a comeback from an early 3-run hole created by the Marlins against starter, Jeff Locke. They got on the board once in the second when they lead off the inning by loading the bases. Locke would then get Jeff Mathis to pop out to first, but Marlins starter, Henderson Alvarez would hit a sac fly to center to make it 1 – 0.
They would make it 3 – 0 in the third when the first two batters would single. Logan Morrison would single to make it 2 – 0 and Donovon Solano would do the same to score the third run. Pitching coach, Ray Searage would then come out to calm Locke down and it would work as he would get the next two to pop out before getting Mathis to ground back to him to end the inning. He would calm down for the next couple of innings before being removed for Vin Mazzaro in the sixth with two on and two out. “I think they (teams) are game planning better, but we walked away with a couple things that are going to help him. I know there was a significant difference after Ray’s mound visit, after they put the third run on the board and he got into some trouble. He put up two quick zeros after, then got in a little bit of trouble in the sixth inning.”
Mazzaro would get the final out then work his way out of a jam in the seventh. After allowing two singles, Adeiny Hechavarria would line a ball into the left-centerfield gap where Andrew McCutchen made a diving play to save at least a run. Vin would get out of the inning unscathed.
The Pirates would get their offense in a group with two out in the third. Starling Marte reached by way of a force out and advanced to second on a Neil Walker single. Cutch would then come up and barely miss a home run as he hit one off of the right-center wall for a 2 RBI double. Pedro Alvarez would then tie the game with an RBI triple (!!!) to right-center to knot it up at 3.
They would have a chance to break things open against reliever, Chad Qualls in the eighth when they loaded the bases on him with no out. He would be replaced by Mike Dunn, who would get Pedro to strike out and Russell Martin to ground into a double play to end the inning.
He would not be as lucky coming back for the ninth when three pitches in, Josh Harrison sent a ball into the seats to end it. “I knew I was leading off the inning trying to get a good pitch. I faced him in Miami and I had a pretty good idea of what he throws and I went to be aggressive, but within the zone and got a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”
It was Harrison’s first walk-off homer in eight years. “High school, It was my senior year of high school which was the only home run of my high school career.”
Tony Watson and Bryan Morris (W) would both work perfect innings in the eighth and ninth to preserve the tie for Harrison’s heroics.
For Locke’s outing, Hurdle thinks this is a perfect learning opportunity. “This is the great part of the season. this is a young man in his rookie season trying to figure some things out as the league counter-punches and drama comes with it, a lot of things come with it. I’m a lot more concerned with what he’s thinking right now and he’s still looking good when he looks at you. I think these are lessons to be learned by him. He’s always got to be the predator and the aggressor.”
Final Score: Pirates 4, Marlins 3
Starters Lines:
Locke (ND): 5 2/3 IN, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K’s. 102 Pitches (59 Strikes)
Alvarez (ND): 7 IN, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 K’s. 90 Pitches (62 Strikes)
These two will be back in action tomorrow for game 2 of the three game set at 7:05.
Tomorrow’s starters:
(RHP) Charlie Morton (PIT): 3 – 3, 4 .07 ERA
(RHP) Tom Koehler (MIA): 3 – 6, 4.34 ERA
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