Freese, Cervelli homer as Pirates edge Braves
PITTSBURGH -- David Freese and Francicso Cervelli hit home runs in the fifth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates found their offense in their home opener, a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park.
The Pirates (1-2), who built a 5-1 lead and hung on, had 11 hits against five Braves pitchers. That came after they totaled 13 hits and three runs in their first two games (21 innings) against Boston.
Ivan Nova (1-0) was strong in his season debut. He allowed one unearned run on six hits with four strikeouts over six innings. Tony Watson pitched the ninth for his first save, hitting a batter before getting two grounders and a fly out.
Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz (0-1) gave up two runs on six hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. Josh Collmenter (0-1), the third pitcher for the Braves (1-3), gave up both homers -- two of the three hits he yielded in two innings.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the third. With one out, Starling Marte was hit by a pitch. Josh Bell and Andrew McCutchen followed with base hits, bringing Marte home. It was McCutchen's first hit of the season after going 0 for 9 in two games at Boston. He went 3 for 4 Friday.
Nova escaped a jam in the fourth. With the bases loaded after singles by Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp, Nova hit Nick Markakis to load the bases. He fell behind 3-0 on Brandon Phillips before getting him to ground into a full-count double play.
Jordy Mercer singled to center with one out in the Pittsburgh fourth, advanced on Nova's bunt and scored on Marte's single to left for a 2-0 lead. The Pirates then loaded the bases, chasing Foltynewicz, but Eric O'Flaherty got Gregory Polanco to fly out to center.
Freese greeted Collmenter with a homer to center to lead off the fifth for a 3-1 Pittsburgh lead and Cervelli followed with a blast to left to make it 4-1.
Marte's two-out single to left drove in Cervelli for a 5-1 lead in the seventh.
In the eighth, Markakis' one-out double to right drove in Freeman to close it to 5-2. That brought in Daniel Hudson, who gave up a two-run double to Phillips to make it 5-4 before getting Adonis Garcia to ground into a double play.
NOTES -- LF Matt Kemp is the only player with a hit in each of Atlanta's four games. He went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles. However, he left the game for a pinch hitter in the sixth on a precautionary basis because of right hamstring tightness. ... Pirates 3B David Freese took a line drive by Dansby Swanson in the chest in the eighth. He got medical attention and remained in the game at the time but left for a pinch hitter in bottom of the eighth. ... Pittsburgh's revamped rotation after a rainout Thursday in Boston has RHP Chad Kuhl facing Braves RHP R.A. Dickey on Saturday. Dickey originally was scheduled to pitch Friday but switched with RHP Mike Foltynewicz. ... The game-time temperature was 37 degrees, with a light semi-frozen drizzle falling at times. The Pirates announced Friday they were going to try to get their home opener in despite poor weather. This weekend is Atlanta's only trip to Pittsburgh.