Rojas, Cooper late homers help Marlins end record road skid
By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jose Urena was the Miami Marlins’ opening day starter. He is now finishing the season as the closer.
Miguel Rojas hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning and Garrett Cooper connected in the 10th as the Marlins rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night, ending their franchise-record 15-game road losing streak.
Urena then pitched a perfect 10th for his first save of the season and second of his career. He had been on the injured list since June 8 with a strained lower back until being activated Sunday and Miami has decided to look at him as a late-inning reliever.
“You could tell he’s got that energy,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s aggressive with his stuff. His stuff is always good. This kind of closing the game down at the end, it fits his personality. So, it’s going to be fun to watch. Hopefully, we can put him in position to get a few more and see how it goes.”
The National League-worst Marlins seemed in position to lose away from home yet again, down to their final out when Rojas homered to center field off Felipe Vazquez, who had just his third blown save in 27 opportunities.
“An amazing feeling, man,” Rojas said. “I just feel like any time you have the opportunity to change the game in that form, it’s really amazing to give guys the opportunity to win.”
Cooper’s home run, a 444-foot shot to left-center, came with one out off Parker Markel (0-1).
“Hitter’s count, 1-0, he threw a slider that didn’t do much and I put a good swing on it,” Cooper said. “I think we come in every day with a new mindset. We’re not worried about the day before or the week before. We have a lot of good veterans in the clubhouse that keep it real with us. Try to win the day.”
Adam Conley (2-7) got the last out of the ninth when Pablo Reyes was thrown out at home while trying to score from second base on Adam Frazier’s infield single.
Pittsburgh had gone in front in the eighth as Jason Martin scored on Jarlin Garcia’s wild pitch with two outs and the bases loaded. Martin injured his left arm when Garcia fell on top of him in a play at the plate. The Pirates had no update on the rookie outfielder following the game.
Frazier led off the first inning with a home run, drove in three runs and had three of the Pirates’ four hits. Pittsburgh lost for just the third time in 11 games.
Miami All-Star Sandy Alcantara remained winless since June 21, a span of 12 starts, as he allowed four runs and three hits in seven-plus innings with seven strikeouts and four walks.
Pirates rookie right-hander Mitch Keller left the game in the second inning when he sustained a bruised right wrist when struck by Cooper’s line comebacker.
Considered the organization’s top prospect coming into the season, Keller retired all five batters he faced in his eighth major league start.
Keller was struck flush on the outer part of the wrist. The Pirates said initial imaging revealed only a bruise.
“It still hurts but right away the worst comes to mind. That it’s just a contusion and not broken is a relief,” said Keller, who had his hand in a brace after the game. “Everything was working really good and I felt it was going to be one of those games that was going to be really good for me and the team. So, getting hurt is really frustrating.”
Frazier’s two-run single to right field in the bottom of the fifth tied the game at 3-3. The Marlins had pulled ahead in the top of the inning on Cooper’s RBI double to deep center field.
After Frazier staked the Pirates to a quick lead, the Marlins moved ahead 2-1 in the third inning as a throwing error by third baseman Colin Moran on Cooper’s two-out grounder allowed two runs to score.
INSTANT OFFENSE
Frazier’s leadoff blast marked the fourth time in five games the Pirates started a game with a home run. The second baseman had one and SS Kevin Newman hit two during a four-game sweep last weekend at Colorado.
OH BROTHER
LHP Brian Moran was called up by the Marlins from Triple-A New Orleans along with C Tyler Heineman and OF Magneuris Sierra. Moran is the older brother of Colin Moran and reached the major leagues for the first time after spending 10 years in the minors.
The Morans are nephews of longtime major leaguer B.J. Surhoff.
The Marlins designated C Wilkin Castillo for assignment and transferred 3B/OF Brian Anderson (fractured right hand) to the 60-day injured list from the 10-day IL to open spots on the 40-man roster.
NEW OLD PIRATE
LHP Wei-Chung Wang was added to the Pirates’ active roster three days after being claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. The Pirates signed Wang from Taiwan as an amateur international free agent in 2011 then lost him two years later to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Rule 5 Draft
Martin was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis as were RHP Yacksel Rios, C Steven Barron and INF Cole Tucker.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Robert Dugger (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is scheduled to make his third major league start on Wednesday night in the middle game of the three-game series.
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (7-6, 5.26) has won back-to-back starts, allowing three runs in 13 innings.

Brault homers, pitches into 7th as Pirates sweep Rockies 6-2
By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Steven Brault hit his first major league homer and pitched effectively into the seventh inning to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Colorado Rockies 6-2 on Sunday for a four-game sweep.
Adam Frazier homered on the first pitch of the game, the second straight day the Pirates did that. Kevin Newman connected against Tim Melville on Saturday night.
Brault (4-3) allowed only one hit until Nolan Arenado lined a two-out fastball into the seats in left field in the sixth for his 35th home run. Brault left in the seventh when the Rockies got a run on two hits and an error, but Richard Rodriguez got out of the jam by fanning Trevor Story.
Brault socked a solo homer that made it 3-1 in the top of the seventh. He allowed just one earned run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Josh Bell and Colin Moran each hit an RBI single for the Pirates. Bryan Reynolds had three hits.
Pittsburgh could have had more runs but Colorado cut down three baserunners in the first six innings. Reynolds was thrown out at home trying to score from first base on a double in the third, Starling Marte was picked off in the fifth when he broke for second too early, and Erik Gonzalez was thrown out trying to stretch a single in the sixth.
That helped limit the damage for Jeff Hoffman (1-5), who was recalled from the minors before game. Hoffman lasted just two innings in his previous start for the Rockies but held Pittsburgh to two runs and nine hits over five innings Sunday. It wasn’t enough to prevent last-place Colorado from losing its sixth in a row.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Activated RHP Clay Holmes from the 10-day injured list.
SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS
The Rockies brought up three players from Triple-A Albuquerque. In addition to Hoffman, Colorado added left-handed reliever James Pazos and infielder Pat Valaika, who started at second base and had a single in four at-bats. Pazos struck out the only batter he faced.
The Pirates are expected to add to their roster before playing at home Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (1-3, 8.62 ERA) opens a six-game homestand Tuesday against Miami. Keller will be making his eight major league start.
Rockies: RHP Peter Lambert (2-5, 6.63) starts his third game of the season against the Dodgers when Colorado begins a three-game series in Los Angeles on Monday.
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Bell hits 35th HR, Pirates clobber Rockies 11-4
By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — One thought raced through Joe Musgrove’s mind as he watched Kevin Newman launch the first pitch of the game into the seats.
“Hell yeah,” the Pittsburgh starter said.
The Pirates have been having a lot of those moments against Colorado this weekend as their offense has battered Rockies pitchers for three games.
Josh Bell hit his 35th homer, one of three on the night for Pittsburgh in an 11-4 rout of Colorado on Saturday night.
The Pirates had 17 hits and have now recorded at least 15 in each game of the series, tying the franchise record for a three-game span set in 1936.
Newman has nine of Pittsburgh’s 48 hits, including three homers, in 14 at-bats in the series, and this was his second leadoff shot. Jose Osuna also connected, and the Pirates won for the 14th time in 18 games at Coors Field. Pittsburgh will try for a four-game sweep Sunday.
“It’s not like they’re taking hitting pills and show up. They’ve been working to be better,” manager Clint Hurdle said of his team. “It’s a combination of them getting pitches to hit and not missing them, and (the Rockies’) rotation is not the rotation they started the year with. They’re trying to do the best they can with what they got.”
Ryan McMahon and Daniel Murphy homered for the Rockies, who have lost five in a row and 11 of 13. A loss Sunday would be the second time in a week Colorado has been swept in a four-game series.
Colorado finished 9-19 in August during which the pitching staff posted a 6.36 ERA, the worst in franchise history for the month. Pitchers also tied a team record by allowing 56 home runs in August.
The Rockies are 19-44 since June 20th and have the second-worst record in the NL.
“I don’t this period is going to effect this team,” manager Bud Black said. “You saw the last out of the game. You saw one of our best players (Trevor Story) get down the line. Ran his ass off.”
Not even the feel-good story of Tim Melville could help the Rockies on Saturday. In his first two starts since being recalled Aug. 21, the 29-year-old journeyman was 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA. After two innings and five runs – four earned – Saturday, his ERA was 3.21.
“A lot of stuff stayed up today and I had to make changes quicker,” Melville said. “I wasn’t able to make changes and at this level you are exposed pretty easily.”
Newman connected off Melville (1-1) during a two-run first. The Pirates added three more in the second, two on a double by Bryan Reynolds.
Reynolds had three hits and a front-row seat for Newman’s 426-foot blast leading off the game.
“I’m on deck just starting to get loose and he hits a homer and I’m like, ‘OK, here we go,'” Reynolds said. “He’s been doing it all year but it’s safe to say he likes playing here. Every time he’s up there he’s getting a hit, hitting it over the fence.”
McMahon hit is 19th in the second and Colorado added another in the third, but Bell and Osuna had solo homers in the fourth off Wes Parsons to make it 7-2. Bell’s 35 homers are a franchise record for a switch-hitter.
Musgrove (9-12) went six innings to get his first win in six starts thanks to another big lead early.
“I can’t say enough about our offense,” he said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco (left shoulder) was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
WAIVER WIRE
The Pirates claimed LHP Wei-Chung Wang off waivers from Oakland. Wang was 1-0 with a 3.33 ERA in 20 relief appearances with the Athletics. He is expected to join the team Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh LHP Steven Brault (3-3, 4.06) will make his second career start against the Colorado. The Rockies have not announced a starter for Sunday.
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