Nova tosses three-hit shutout as Pirates jolt Marlins
MIAMI -- Ivan Nova pitched a three-hit shutout with no walks to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-0 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night at Marlins Park.
It was the third career shutout for Nova (3-2), who did it twice for the New York Yankees in 2013. He blanked the Baltimore Orioles on three hits and one walk and did the same to the San Francisco Giants on six hits and one free pass.
On Saturday, Nova allowed a double by Martin Prado and two singles. Pinch hitter Derek Dietrich nearly homered to lead off the ninth, but his shot to right was foul by a couple of feet. Dietrich then hit a fly ball to center that was caught on the warning track.
Nova, who struck out seven, lowered his ERA to 1.50 after throwing a season-high 95 pitches.
The Pirates (11-12) have won a season-best four in a row and will try for a three-game sweep against the Marlins on Sunday. Miami has lost a season-worst four straight games.
Pittsburgh was led offensively by Gregory Polanco, who went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, one walk and one run scored. John Jaso added a homer, his first of the season, and two RBIs.
Marlins starter Dan Straily (1-2), who was coming off a 14-strikeout, no-walk performance in a road win against the San Diego Padres, was not nearly as sharp vs. Pittsburgh. He lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three walks and three runs, striking out five.
Straily pitched well through five innings. The only damage he allowed during that portion of the game occurred in the second inning, when the Pirates took a 1-0 on Polanco's leadoff double to left and Jordy Mercer's two-out RBI single to center.
But after getting the first out in the sixth, Straily fell apart. He allowed a single by Josh Bell and then three straight walks, including an RBI free pass to Francisco Cervelli, who overcame a 0-2 count.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly brought in reliever Brad Ziegler, who walked Jaso on a low 3-2 pitch, giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead. Ziegler escaped more trouble when the next batter, Mercer, grounded into a double play.
The Pirates extended their lead to 4-0 in the ninth on Jaso's homer to right-center field. Not knowing for sure if the ball would clear the wall, Jaso sprinted hard to third before finally trotting home.
NOTES: Marlins RHP Jose Urena set a Marlins record for a reliever by allowing 12 hits in Friday night's game. ... Pirates rookie 2B Gift Ngoepe, who went 4-for-5 in his first two MLB games this week, said he has made an adjustment to improve his offense, getting rid of excess movement in his loading mechanism. ... In three road starts this season, Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon is 2-0 and has allowed just one earned run in 19 innings. ... Pirates utility INF Adam Frazier (left hamstring) hasn't resumed baseball activities since landing on the disabled list on Monday. ... The pitching matchup for Sunday's series finale features Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (1-1, 5.14 ERA) vs. Pirates RHP Chad Kuhl (1-2, 6.63).