Yelich Hits Early Homer As Marlins Top Pirates 3-2 For Sweep
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PITTSBURGH (CBSMiami/AP) — Christian Yelich homered in the first inning and Miami added a pair of unearned runs allowing the Marlins to rally past the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Jose Urena (2-4) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings as the Marlins swept a series for the sixth time this season. He lowered his ERA from 6.80 to 6.33.
Fernando Rodney completed the five-hitter, working around a two-out walk in the ninth. Rodney retired Francisco Cervelli on a game-ending groundout for his third save of the series and 24th in 26 chances this season.
Miami went 6-1 this year against the Pirates and moved ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL wild-card race. The Marlins (65-59) trail St. Louis (65-57) by one game for the NL's second wild card.
Wearing 1970s throwback uniforms and caps, the Pirates (62-59) dropped 1 1/2 games back of Miami.
Ryan Vogelsong (2-3) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings.
Miami, just 12-19 at PNC Park over the previous decade coming on, went ahead on Yelich's 15th home run. He has five in 12 games at PNC Park and 30 in 438 major league games elsewhere.
Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. With runners at second and third, David Freese hit a bouncer off the glove of third baseman Martin Prado for an error and Josh Bell following with a sacrifice fly.
Miami went back ahead in the fifth without hitting a ball out of the infield. Adeiny Hechavarria reached leading off on a throwing error by shortstop Sean Rodriguez and scored on Prado's RBI groundout. Dee Gordon reached on a bunt single, stole second, took third on Prado's grounder and came home when Vogelsong bounced a wild pitch past catcher Eric Fryer.
NOT AGAIN!
Almost three months to the day after being struck in the face by a pitch and suffering multiple facial fractures that kept him out of the majors for more than 10 weeks, Vogelsong had a scare when squaring to bunt. A up-and-in pitch from Urena struck Vogelsong's bat as he ducked and flinched. After a delay of more than a minute while Vogelsong collected himself and spoke with training personnel, fans gave him an ovation when he laid down a sacrifice on the next pitch.
ROSTER MOVE
Miami All-star closer A.J. Ramos, who had been on the disabled list with a finger injury, was activated and pitched a perfect eighth. Reliever Brian Ellington (0.92 ERA) was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) is slated to throw four innings and 65 pitches in a rehabilitation start Monday at Double-A Altoona. Glasnow has been on the disabled list since July 24. ... General manager Neal Huntington said the team will continue to monitor rookie RHP Jameson Taillon, who missed 2014 because of Tommy John surgery and 2015 due to a sports hernia. He has thrown 127 2/3 innings with the Pirates and at Triple-A this season. "Our goal is to get him in the position to go deep into October," Huntington said. "At the same time we don't want to leave pitches in the bank." ... Huntington attributed the poor season of Jung Ho Kang in part to fatigue resulting from a grueling offseason of rehabilitation for a major leg injury in September 2015. "The same leg explosiveness isn't there," Huntington said of Kang, who was placed on the disabled list Saturday for left shoulder discomfort. "This breather could be a benefit for him lower-half wise"
UP NEXT
Marlins: Miami hosts the defending World Series champion Royals beginning Tuesday, the second time Kansas City has played in South Florida. Andrew Cashner (4-9) makes his fifth start for Miami.
Pirates: Taillon (3-2)is to start Monday against the former division rival Houston, which will be playing the Pirates for the first time since 2013.
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