Pirates Lose to Marlins 7-3 as Miami Clinches Postseason Berth

RECAP

PITTSBURGH – Rookie catcher Endy Rodriguez had three hits, but the Pittsburgh Pirates watched the Miami Marlins clinch a postseason berth Saturday night with a 7-3 win at PNC Park.

The Marlins will be either the second or third National League wild card when the playoffs begin Tuesday. Miami made the expanded playoffs during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season but otherwise hasn’t been to the postseason since upsetting the New York Yankees in 2003 World Series.

Ke’Bryan Hayes had two doubles as the Pirates (75-86) lost for the fifth time in their last six games. Jared Triolo also had two hits.

Quinn Priester (3-3) took the loss as he allowed four runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jon Berti had three hits each for the Marlins while former Pirate All-Star Josh Bell drove in three runs. Chisholm also homered.

Miami scored twice in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie as Jorge Soler drove in a run with a fielder’s choice and Bell followed with a sacrifice fly.

A.J. Puk (7-5) allowed one run in relief inning for the win and Tanner Scott notched his 12^th save by getting the final four outs.

KEY MOMENT

The Pirates were trailing 4-2 in the seventh inning but had runners on first and second with two outs. However, the rally ended when Rodriguez grounded out against Matt Moore.

STAR OF THE GAME

Soler drove in the winning run and went 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

STAT OF INTEREST

The Pirates pitching has 1,347 strikeouts, the second-highest season total in franchise history. The record of 1,443 was set in 2019.

NOTEWORTHY

–After going hitless in his first four at-bats, left fielder Bryan Reynolds singled in the eighth inning to run his season-best streak of reaching base in 28 consecutive games.

–Triolo extended his on-base streak to 12 games in a row.

–Center fielder Jack Suwinski extended his hitting streak to seven games with a first-inning single.

–Second baseman Nick Gonzales’ double in the fourth broke an 0-for-22 drought.

UP NEXT

The season finale is set for 3:05 p.m. Sunday. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher.