Dane Myers hit a walk-off single with one out in the 12th inning as the Miami Marlins outlasted the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 on Saturday.
With Xavier Edwards as the designated runner at second, Marlins left-hander Joey Wentz (0-1) walked Otto Lopez intentionally. Jonah Bride hit a fly ball off to deep right-center field. Center fielder Oneill Cruz attempted a basket catch, but the ball caromed off the end of his glove, but the runners were able to advance only one base, leaving the bases loaded.
Tim Mayza relieved Wentz and got Eric Wagaman to ground into a forceout at the plate. Myers then lifted a fly ball over right fielder Tommy Pham to score Lopez.
Myers also made a key defensive play for the first out in the top half of the 12th. The right fielder threw out the Pirates’ Tommy Pham on a single by Bryan Reynolds, and George Soriano (1-0) stranded two to set it up for the dramatic finish.
The teams traded runs in the 11th as Pittsburgh’s Adam Frazier hit an RBI groundout off Lake Bachar, and Kyle Stowers tied it with an RBI infield single that caromed off Wentz in the bottom half. Wentz kept the game tied by striking out Edwards.
Before extra innings, the Pirates blew a trio of one-run leads, and the Marlins forged a 3-3 tie when Edwards doubled with two outs and scored on a single by Lopez off Justin Lawrence.
Pittsburgh nearly went ahead in the eighth, but left fielder Griffin Conine extending his glove over the fence to rob Jack Suwinski of a go-ahead homer.
The Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the seventh when Frazier singled and scored on a throwing error by catcher Nick Fontes. He was trying to catch Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second on a stolen base attempt.
Suwinski hit an RBI double in the first and Joey Bart hit an RBI single to score Cruz in the sixth. Cruz had walked and stolen second for one of his two steals. The Pirates had six overall.
Edwards lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth to tie the game 1-1 in the fifth, and Derek Hill hit a tying double an inning later for the Marlins.
Pittsburgh lefty Bailey Falter allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Miami’s Valente Bellozo allowed one run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.
