Meyer outduels Skenes, allows one run in six innings as Marlins top Pirates 4-2

Skenes (6-6), who fell to 0-4 in six starts since last winning on May 12, gave up home runs to Heriberto Hernández and Joe Mack in the second inning. The Pirates ace set a career high with 23 swings and misses and struck out 10, including the side in the fourth and sixth. He gave up four hits with one walk in six innings.

Miami, which took two of three games from Pittsburgh, has won seven of eight and 10 of 12 in June.

Hernández opened the scoring by sending a Skenes fastball 403 feet into the left-field bleachers. Mack drove a changeup 424 feet to center, putting the Marlins ahead 2-0.

The Pirates started the fourth with three straight singles, capped by Jake Mangum driving in Nick Gonzales. Meyer retired the next three batters, including strikeouts of Jared Triolo and Spencer Horwitz.

Meyer hit Tyler Callihan with a pitch to load the bases with two outs the following inning. Mangum then sent a sharp liner to right-center, but centerfielder Jakob Marsee charged for a diving catch to rob a likely go-ahead double.

Pittsburgh had two runners in scoring position with two outs in the seventh before Calvin Faucher ended the threat with a strikeout of Callihan. It left on 11 total runners.

Kyle Stowers and Xavier Edwards pushed the lead to 4-1 with a pair of RBI singles off Brandan Bidois in the eighth.

Pete Fairbanks, who picked up his ninth save, struck out two in the ninth before surrendering a two-out homer to Bryan Reynolds.

Up next

Marlins: RHP Ryan Gusto (0-1, 6.00 ERA) takes the mound Monday to begin a three-game series in Philadelphia opposite Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (5-1, 2.22 ERA).

Pirates: RHP Jared Jones (1-0, 4.73 ERA) starts Monday to open a three-game set at the Athletics against RHP J.T. Ginn (4-3, 3.15 ERA).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb