Marlins beat the Pirates 8-3 for their 7th straight victory

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Owen Caissie had a two-run double to cap a four-run seventh inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3 on Friday night for their seventh straight victory and ninth in 10 games in June.

Sandy Alcantara (6-4) won for the third time in three starts in June, working eight innings. He gave up three runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking one.

Tied at 2 going into the seventh, the Marlins scored four runs off reliever Wilber Dotel (1-2). Xavier Edwards brought home the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, Heriberto Hernandez had an RBI single and Caissie broke it open with his double off the fence in center.

Liam Hicks added a two-run home run in the eighth off Antoine Kelly, who was making his major league debut, to make it 8-2. Hicks finished 3 for 4 with a double and three runs.

Endy Rodriguez homered and doubled for the Pirates, who lost for the sixth in seven games. Brandon Lowe went deep in the bottom of the eighth after the Pirates had fallen behind by six runs.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the third when Rodriguez hit a leadoff double and scored on Jared Triolo’s single.

The Marlins moved in front 2-1 in the fifth. Otto Lopez drove in one run with a groundout and Kyle Stowers followed with an RBI single. Rodriguez homered in the bottom of the inning to tie it.

Pirates starter Braxon Ashcraft allowed two runs in five innings.

Up next

Pirates rookie RHP Bubba Chandler (2-7. 4.91 ERA) was set to start Saturday. The Marlins had not announced a starter.