10th Inning Homer Lifts Marlins 6-5, Denies Pirates Sweep
MIAMI (AP) — Lewin Díaz led off the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer off Chad Kuhl, and the Miami Marlins beat Pittsburgh 6-5 Sunday to deny the Pirates what would have been their first series sweep this season.
Díaz's drive off Kuhl (5-7) bounced off the façade in right-center for his first game-ending home run of his big league career. It scored Jesús Sánchez, the automatic runner under pandemic rules.
"It was very exciting to have that opportunity," Díaz said. "I was thinking of not doing too much, just putting the ball in play."
In a see-saw game, Hoy Park put Pittsburgh ahead with a two-run homer in the ninth off Dylan Floro, and Bryan De La Cruz hit a tying single against Chris Stratton with two outs in the bottom half.
Ben Gamel's sacrifice fly off Steven Okert (2-1) gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead in the 10th after automatic runner Ke'Bryan Hayes advanced on a wild pitch.
"If we keep winning the first two games of a series and put ourselves in position to sweep, we're going to be in good shape," Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. "But today's a tough one because we had the lead twice and ended giving it up."
Miami starter Sandy Alcantara allowed two runs and four hits in six-plus innings.
"Sandy's stuff is always good," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. "I didn't see him as sharp but Sandy's always good."
Joe Panik snapped an 0-for-14 slide with a two-run double in the fourth that gave Miami its first lead in the series.
Sánchez's sacrifice fly in the fifth made it 3-1 before Anthony Alford's RBI triple off Alcantara in the seventh got the Pirates within a run.
Pittsburgh starter Max Kranick, recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.
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