PITTSBURGH (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton kept taking aim at the batter’s eye high above the center field fence at PNC Park during batting practice on Friday afternoon, but couldn’t find the right pitch to get it there.
It ended up coming off the hand of struggling Pittsburgh Pirates starter Tyler Glasnow instead.
Stanton took a pitch from Glasnow and sent it 449 feet to a TV stand above the batter’s eye for his 16th home run of the season as the surging Marlins stayed hot with a 12-7 victory over the reeling Pirates. Stanton took just a second to admire it before jogging around the bases, hearing the ball clang off a railing before flopping back onto the field.
“Didn’t get it out of the stadium man,” said Stanton, who finished with three RBIs. “Hopped back in.”
Only architecture kept it from landing on the concourse and perhaps bounding all the way down to the Allegheny River. Told the distance, Stanton paused for a second then let out a skeptical “OK,” hinting that it may have gone farther.
“He’s like any other hitter,” Glasnow said. “If you don’t hit your spots and your stuff’s not there, bad things are going to happen. He just happens to be freakishly strong, so it makes it even worse.”
There was plenty of power to go around for the Marlins. Tyler Moore went deep twice for the second multihomer game of his career as Miami set a season-high in runs and collected 18 hits. The Marlins have won 11 of 15 despite a series of injuries to the starting rotation and the infield.
“May looked like a death blow,” Mattingly said. “We took some pretty good hits there in May. We didn’t play well at all.”
Miami has recovered nicely behind an offense that came into the game hitting an NL-best .273 on the road, a number that only ticked up as the Marlins had their way with Glasnow (2-6).
Though Glasnow managed to not walk a batter for just the second time in 12 starts this season, he’s now given up 12 home runs in 54 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh remains committed to sticking with the 24-year-old during the bumps, ones that don’t appear to be going away. Glasnow retired just 12 of the 22 batters he faced as his ERA rose to 7.45, which would be the second-worst among major league starters if Glasnow had enough innings to qualify. His inability to pitch deep into games is keeping him off the list.
“I just think I’m leaving it in the zone too much,” Glasnow said.
While Glasnow is trying to get his young career on track, Worley is attempting to resurrect his while trying to eat innings for the Marlins’ injury ravaged pitching staff.
Worley spent two seasons with the Pirates, helping Pittsburgh make consecutive playoff appearances in 2014 and 2015 while bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation. His return to PNC Park lasted just 3 2/3 innings after giving up four runs, his own ERA rising to 7.27 in five appearances.
The way the Marlins knocked around Glasnow, it didn’t matter. Miami scored runs in three of the four innings Glasnow worked and kept piling on.
Adam Frazier and Jordy Mercer had two hits and two RBIs each for the Pirates but Pittsburgh dropped its fourth straight to fall into last in the NL Central.
BULLPEN MAKEOVER
Tony Watson worked a scoreless ninth inning for the Pirates but it was just to get some work in. Pittsburgh has removed Watson from the closer’s role after blowing five of his last eight save opportunities. Juan Nicasio and Felipe Rivero will split closing duties for now.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: LHP Justin Nicolino (left index finger contusion) is scheduled to make a start for Class A Jupiter on Tuesday. … RHP Tom Koehler (right shoulder bursitis) had no health issues coming out of a rehab start. He gave up three runs in four innings for Jupiter. Mattingly said the team will let Koehler make at least one more start before evaluating the quality of them.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon will return to the starting rotation next week against Colorado, just a month removed from being diagnosed with testicular cancer. Taillon underwent a procedure on May 8 to remove cancerous tissue and has made three rehab starts, the last for Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Marlins: Dan Straily (4-4, 4.16) will go for his fourth win in his last five starts on Saturday.
Pirates: Trevor Williams (3-3, 4.57 ERA) will try to make a case to keep his spot in the rotation when Taillon returns. Williams is 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in his last three starts.
