Who’s the closer?
PITTSBURGH — Edinson Volquez followed his no-hitter by pitching seven scoreless innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 on Thursday night.
Volquez (3-7) allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked two while winning his third straight start. He helped the Marlins win for the ninth time in 12 games and raised his career record to 4-0 against the Pirates, a team he pitched for in 2013.
Volquez has allowed only one run in 22 innings during his streak, including a no-hitter last Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the first of his 13-year career.
He was winless in his first nine starts after being signed to a twoyear, $22-million contract in the offseason to help fill the void left by the death of ace Jose Fernandez in a boating accident last September.
Derek Dietrich and Christian Yelich both had three hits, including two doubles, for the Marlins and J.T. Realmuto and Tyler Moore added two hits each.
Volquez’s bid to become the second pitcher in baseball history to throw back-to-back no-hitters ended just two batters into Thursday night’s game when Josh Harrison had a bunt single down the third-base line.
Johnny Vander Meer remains the only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters, doing so in 1938 for the Cincinnati Reds.
Miami’s Edinson Volquez delivers against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh. The Marlins won 7-1.
Harrison doubled in the sixth to end a string of 12 straight batters retired by Volquez.
The Pirates, who lost their third straight, avoided a shutout in the ninth inning when Josh Bell had a run-scoring groundout.
Gerrit Cole (3-6) was tagged for seven runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings as his struggles continued. He is 1-2 with a 10.73 ERA in his four starts, giving up 23 runs and 39 hits in 19 1/3 innings.
Dietrich capped a three-run first inning with a two-run double. The Marlins chased Cole in the fifth with five consecutive two-out singles that produced three runs and increased the lead to 7-0. Keith Srakocic / The Associated Press
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle wasn’t ready to say whether Tony Watson will remain the closer after the left-hander blew ninth-inning leads both Tuesday and Wednesday in losses at Baltimore. Watson has allowed multiple earned runs in five of last 10 appearances, raising his ERA to 4.44 from 1.92.