Marlins 2 - 7 Pirates
Final
  for this game

Polanco, Volquez lead Pirates past Marlins

Aug 8, 2014 - 4:30 AM Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Gregory Polanco drove in four runs and Edinson Volquez tossed seven strong innings to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in the rubber match of a three-game set on Thursday.

Jordy Mercer finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Starling Marte had a pair of hits and scored twice for the Pirates, who have won eight of their last nine games against Miami at PNC Park.

Volquez (9-7) surrendered just one hit and three walks, while striking out seven batters to improve to 6-0 in seven career starts against the Marlins.

"He had a really good fastball tonight," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Volquez. "I thought his pace and rhythm was a good as we've seen all year."

Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for Miami, which has dropped three of its last four games. Starter Brian Flynn (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs on eight hits over four-plus innings.

Mercer led off the fourth with a double down the left-field line, moved to third on Flynn's wild pitch and scored on Russell Martin's chopper off the glove of third baseman Donovan Solano. Two batters later, Marte stroked a ground-rule double off the warning track in left and Jayson Nix walked to load the bases.

Polanco's liner into left field brought in Martin and Marte to make it a 3-0 game.

In the fifth, Josh Harrison opened the frame with a single to left, stole second and came home on Mercer's single up the middle. After Flynn walked Martin, Sam Dyson was greeted by Gaby Sanchez's RBI base hit to center.

Miami reliever Dan Jennings recorded one out in the seventh before Mercer's liner hit him in the side of the head and knocked him to the ground before it was caught by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. Jennings struggled, but got off the ground and walked a few feet before collapsing to his knees. He remained conscious, but seemed disoriented. Jennings was taken off the field in a cart and waved to the crowd after he received a standing ovation.

The Marlins said later that Jennings' CT scan was negative and that he had a concussion. He was being held overnight in the hospital for observation.

"The scans were negative-it seems I'm going to be ok," Jennings tweeted late Thursday. "The support shown tonight has been unbelievable, speechless."

Polanco's two-run double to right gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead in the eighth.

Christian Yelich singled with two outs in the ninth and Stanton's two run blast to center field two batters later off Stolmy Pimentel accounted for the final score.

Game Notes

Harrison extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games ... Polanco matched a career-high in RBI that was first set on June 26 against the Mets ... Flynn was the seventh pitcher listed at 6-foot-7 or taller to start a game in Marlins history ... Pittsburgh leads the season series, 4-2.






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