MARTE’S DEFENSE STOPS THE REDS
Marte snares Byrd’s drive in 9th to preserve first win in Cincinnati this year
CINCINNATI — Mark Melancon blows a save about once in a blue moon, and Starling Marte ensured it didn’t happen Friday night.
As a bright moon crested in the ninth inning above the Great American Ball Park scoreboard, which blinked a 5-4 Pirates lead against the Cincinnati Reds, Marte threw out Brandon Phillips at the plate and robbed Marlon Byrd with a diving catch to end the game.
“[Marte] is playing left field as good as anybody in the game — playing like he invented it,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Strong, strong defense. Does he get the save?”
Melancon got his 33rd save, despite a rocky ninth, and added to his franchise record by converting his 31st consecutive save opportunity. This one, though, was about as harrowing as they come.
With two on and one out, Todd Frazier roped a single to left. Marte came up throwing, and his throw beat Phillips down the line at home. On the next play, Byrd laced a sinking line drive to left.
“I put my speed at 100 percent,” Marte said.
Marte charged hard and dived, twisting and tumbling, then raised his glove in victory. After the game, he wore an ice pack on his left hand — not from the dive, but from a hit by pitch in the first. Asked when teams will discover they shouldn’t test his golden right arm, he smiled and replied, “They probably know now. It’s good for me. Competition for the Gold Glove.”
Jung Ho Kang powered the Pirates offense with three doubles, and newcomer Joakim Soria kept his head, and the lead, in the seventh to salvage a rocky Pirates debut.
The Pirates evened the series and earned their first win at Great American Ball Park in five tries this season. They closed July with a National League-best 17-9 record, matching their mark in June.
Soria, acquired Thursday from the Detroit Tigers, escaped the seventh by snaring catcher Brayan Pena’s screaming line drive as it zipped over his head with the bases loaded and two outs.
“It’s a different game if he doesn’t catch that,” catcher Francisco Cervelli said. “Just instinct,” Soria said. Pena turned away, his arms raised in despair, and Soria marched toward the dugout wearing a straight face that said his debut had gone exactly according to plan. It hadn’t, of course. Cervelli gave that secret away. He shook his head and laughed, and Soria finally broke into a smile.
“Two quick outs and then some drama, huh?” Hurdle said of Soria’s outing. “It was a fantastic play. Whether it was reactionary or planned, I don’t know.”
Kang continued his rapid ascent in the National League rookie of the year conversation. This Korean shortstop hit a ground-rule double in the first off righthander Michael Lorenzen, and added leadoff doubles in the fourth and sixth. Kang hit .379 (33-87) in July, raising his season average to .299.
The Reds sent nine hitters to the plate in the second, scoring three runs off lefthander Jeff Locke. Ivan De Jesus Jr. smoked a two-run homer to left-center, and the Reds managed another on Jason Bourgeois’ basesloaded, run-scoring groundout.
Kang doubled and scored in the fourth on Pedro Alvarez’s RBI single. Andrew McCutchen erased the remainder of the Reds lead with a two-out solo home run to right in the fifth, his 15th.
Kang played an integral role in the Pirates’ deciding rally in the sixth. He led off, again, with a double, and the Reds elected to intentionally walk Cervelli. Hurdle lifted Locke for pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa, who drew a fullcount walk to load the bases.
Enter jumbo-sized reliever Jumbo Diaz. His third pitch to leadoff man Gregory Polanco bounced past Pena, and Kang bolted from third. His instincts were good. Pena bobbled the ball, and Kang slid in ahead of the tag.
“He runs the bases like he’s invisible from time to time,” Hurdle joked.
Kang explained Pena’s position had given him away. The catcher was squatting, giving a tell that a breaking ball was coming.
“I was thinking of going home on a dirt ball,” Kang said through his interpreter, “and the timing was right.”
After Polanco walked, Marte ripped a single to left. Cervelli scored, giving the Pirates a 5-3 lead.
Soria gave up a single and two walks to load the bases.. Pena drew a 3-1 count, then watched his liner slam right into Soria’s mitt.