Dickerson bunt single in 9th lifts Pirates over Marlins 1-0
MIAMI (AP) Corey Dickerson has been one of the hottest hitters in the National League.
So when he stepped to the plate for Pittsburgh in the ninth inning of a scoreless game, with runners at the corners and one out, his teammates were sure he'd swing away.
Instead, Dickerson bunted. And it worked, barely.
Dickerson popped up a bunt, but it landed in between Miami pitcher Brad Ziegler and second baseman Starlin Castro and allowed a run to score Saturday night that gave the Pirates a 1-0 win over the Marlins.
''I knew all I had to do was get the ball down and (Starling) Marte is going to score with the `W.' Be selfless and give myself up and we'd win the ballgame,'' Dickerson said. ''It was as simple as that. I wanted to win. I hate losing. I was trying to do something simple to get the `W.'''
Dickerson extended his hitting streak to nine games. He is 16 for 36 (.444) with nine RBIs during that span.
''I think some of the guys couldn't believe I did it because I had a hit streak doing or I never bunt or it's easy time to try to drive in runs,'' Dickerson said. ''But Ziegler has been around a long time and he can induce a double play better than anybody and I was trying to do something simple and try to win the ball game for us.''
The decision by Dickerson surprised Hurdle.
''Corey took it upon himself to make that play happen and it just shows you the selflessness,'' Hurdle said. ''He's got an eight-game hitting streak coming into the game. I talked to him he said, `With Marte on, all I have to do is get the ball on the ground.' It would have looked a little more refreshing for me if it would have gone on the ground initially, but that's his mindset. He just wanted to help us win a ballgame.''
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon and Miami counterpart Trevor Richards kept the game scoreless into the later innings.
''Basically, just a good old-fashioned ballgame broke out tonight,'' Hurdle said.
Ziegler (0-3) retired the first batter in the Pittsburgh ninth before Starling Marte reached on a bunt hit. Josh Bell followed with an infield hit that sent Marte to third before Dickerson's bunt.
''It's getting old,'' Ziegler said. ''I'm making good pitches, getting the ball on the ground all day and giving up runs every time out there. It just gets old.''
The Pirates had just two hits, both by Francisco Cervelli, entering the ninth. Pittsburgh improved to 10-4 to start the season.
A crowd of 26,816 watched the pitching duel.
George Kontos (1-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief and Felipe Vazquez tossed a flawless ninth for his fifth save in five opportunities.
Taillon threw six scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 0.89 in three starts, and has thrown 15 consecutive shutout innings. He allowed four hits and three walks, striking out two.
''It took everything tonight to get through,'' Taillon said. ''Quite honestly, I didn't feel that great. It definitely wasn't my best stuff or best executed game.''
Richards pitched seven scoreless innings allowed two hits and one walk. He struck out two while throwing 49 of his 82 pitches for strikes.
Miami stranded a runner on third base in the second, fourth, and eighth innings.
''It's one of those games where you're looking for a big hit, or get a break here or there, but if you look at it as a whole, obviously Trevor was really good today,'' Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: C J.T. Realmuto (back) homered in his first rehab assignment with Single-A Jupiter on Saturday. ... RHP Dan Straily (forearm) is scheduled to make his second rehab start on Wednesday with Single-A Jupiter. ... LHP Wei-Yin Chen (elbow) threw three innings in an extended spring game on Thursday. ... 3B Martin Prado (hamstring) played five innings in an extended spring game on Friday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (1-1, 5.19 ERA) will start the series finale on Sunday. Nova has won both of his starts against the Marlins without allowing an earned run in 15 innings.
Marlins: RHP Jose Urena (0-2, 5.06) has allowed six runs in 15 innings for a 3.60 ERA since giving up three runs in the first inning to the Cubs on opening day.
