MIAMI — The 96.5 mph fastball from Marlins starter Jose Ureña struck Josh Harrison in the back of the left hand in the third inning, causing the Pirates' starting second baseman to clutch his left arm and grimace. Moments later, he was removed from Sunday's game at Marlins Park
Then, his fellow position players proceeded to string together 12 more hits, five of which were by Starling Marte, and his starting pitcher, Ivan Nova, had Harrison's back in more ways than one, as the Pirates defeated the Marlins, 7-3, to earn their third consecutive series win.
Nova, now the leader of the Pirates' pitching staff, hit Marlins right fielder JB Shuck in the right hip later in the third inning and pitched 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts. The three players in the middle of the team's order did their part with a combined 10 hits and six RBIs.
That lifted the Pirates' record to 11-4 overall, 7-2 on the road, and they accomplished the victory with a bit of anger.
"We definitely got pissed off about it," Sean Rodriguez told DKPittsburghSports.com. "We get pitchers have to pitch inside. That’s how it goes, but when it’s a guy who’s been hit quite a few times it can get you a little more emotional than you want to get. It’s hard not to. Look what he's been through."
Harrison, whose season was cut short last September because a hit-by-pitch broke a finger on his left hand, called his removal from the game a precaution, and his status is expected to be determined once he meets with team doctors in Pittsburgh Monday. However, this situation looked grim when he squirmed and appeared to be in pain after head athletic trainer Bryan Housand touched the hand near first base:
Clint Hurdle declined to speak of what impact Harrison's absence could have. Nova declined comment when asked about the tensions that seemed close to boiling over. Francisco Cervelli was also hit in the back of his left hand — the exact same spot as Harrison — by Marlins reliever Odrismer Despaigne in the seventh inning, although he remained in the game.
Home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher issued warnings after Nova hit Shuck, but he didn't deem Despaigne's pitch to be intentional.
"I have no comment about that," Nova said when asked of the hit-by-pitches.
The Pirates responded with one of their more complete performances of the season. Nova gave up one run in the first inning as the result of some tough luck. The Marlins (4-11) loaded the bases with two infield singles and another single on a weak grounder that snuck through the infield.
Then, Brian Anderson hit a ball up the middle that struck Nova on the ankle, allowing one run to score despite Colin Moran getting an out at first base. Nova followed with three consecutive no-hit innings — he had seven strikeouts through four — and allowed only two hard-hit balls during his 106-pitch outing.
Michael Feliz finished the seventh inning, and George Kontos and Felipe Vázquez each followed with a scoreless inning to secure the win, lowering the Pirates bullpen's ERA to 6.16.
"I just stayed focused," Nova, who improved to 2-1, said. "I always talk about making my pitches. It’s something I’ve been focusing on a lot. I gave up a lot of homers last year on pitches right over the plate. I have my good days and bad days. I want to stay consistent on that."
He was pulled in the seventh inning after allowing a two-run, two-out homer to Justin Bour, cutting the Pirates' lead to three runs. But Nova also seemed to send a message to the Marlins by striking Shuck on the hip with his first pitch of the third inning. He didn't want to talk about it after the game, but Harrison appreciated the sentiment.
"We got each other’s back," Harrison said. "At the end of the day you never want anybody to get hurt. We’re family here. He went out and threw a great game. He got the win. Whatever happens here, happens."
It was the third consecutive game a Pirates starter has thrown at least six innings, and their rotation's 3.04 ERA is the fourth-best in the National League. The offense also lifted Harrison after a quiet first two games of the series. Josh Bell went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, including a two-run double in the third inning, and Marte's five hits are a new career-high.
He scored four times, including a solo home run in the ninth inning.
"Jackie Robinson Day? Five for five?" Hurdle said of Marte. "From where he was at this point in time last year to where he is this year, there's some growth." Additionally, Corey Dickerson extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the third, and he drove in Marte with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. The Pirates lead the NL in batting average (.271), runs (87) and slugging percentage (.452).
The Pirates went 4-2 during the six-game road trip and their offense averaged nearly five runs per game during that span. They're now three games ahead of the second-place Cardinals and head back to PNC Park for a three-game series against the Rockies, although it's unclear if Harrison will be able to contribute upon their arrival.
"We’ve put ourselves in a competitive spot, and we always like going home," Hurdle said.
1. Nova a different pitcher than last season.
Nova, 31, lost 10 pounds over the offseason to prepare himself to be able to pitch effectively for more than 30 starts in 2018. In addition to the weight loss, though, the right-hander wanted to find a way to have more success on the mound. He allowed 29 home runs last season and opponents batted .316 against him in the second half of the season.
To start, Nova wanted to improve his curveball and changeup. Relying on weak contact alone proved to be difficult, so he needed two potential swing-and-miss pitches to keep hitters off his four-seam fastball and sinker. Additionally, he wanted to begin challenging hitters with a high four-seam fastball to keep them off balance.
The Marlins learned about that focus Sunday, as he struck out both Derek Dietrich and Cameron Maybin with a curveball in the first inning. He threw the pitch 26 times, producing six swinging strikes. His only mistake was a hanging curve to Bour on the home run.
"I put a lot of work on that pitch in my bullpens," Nova explained. "I hung one right in the middle on the homer there, but it’s been a really good pitch. The confidence is back on it. I’m going to keep using it."
He threw 71 of his pitches for strikes and was still throwing 95 mph in the seventh inning, striking out Chad Wallach on a curveball low in the zone after jamming him inside with a 95 mph four-seam fastball. The logic behind throwing high is simple. Hitters around the league knew Nova was going to pound low in the zone, so there wasn't much deception. Now, he's a bit unpredictable.
"You don’t want to stay down in the strike zone all the time," he said. "It’s something I’ve been doing since spring training. I wanted to do something different that I wasn’t doing last year. It’s been working really good."
2. Bell's approach continues to pay off in big situations.
Bell has now reached base safely in 14 of the Pirates' first 15 games, hitting safely in 12 of those. He's batting .305/.373/.797 through 15 games, driving in 10 runs, despite having only one home run. He's also seeing almost nine percent fewer pitches inside the zone, but he's continued to excel in clutch situations, batting .448 in 29 at-bats with runners on base.
He's doing it with an old-school approach, too. Some hitters pay particular attention to heat maps to try to diagnose where they do the most damage in the zone. Bell, on the other hand, sticks to scouting reports on each individual pitcher to see how and when he can be successful.
In the third inning, Ureña threw Bell a first-pitch slider out of the zone, followed by a changeup Bell fouled back. Then, he hung a slider that Bell bounced down the right-field line for the go-ahead double.
"I don't really focus on my own hot zones," Bell said. "I kind of focus on how the pitcher is going to attack. What his strengths are. What are his mistake pitches, and I kind of just roll off of that."
3. Marte using plate discipline to have success.
With Marte's 5-for-5 performance he now has six hits in his last six at-bats, raising his average to .305. He has two doubles, a league-leading two triples and a team-high 14 runs.
That includes his solo home run in the ninth:
His walk rate is up seven percent, and he's swinging at 11 percent fewer pitches outside the strike zone. Additionally, Marte is making harder contact, hitting line drives on 30 percent of his balls put into play — more than a five percent increase from last season. That trend has been as important to this offense as Gregory Polanco's display of power.
Polanco is now batting .218 after a 2-for-24 slump, so its been Marte and Harrison who have been on base more often for Bell and Dickerson. Those three have formed a dynamic middle of the order, hitting a combined .321 this season.
"Focus delivers good patience," Marte said through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez. "That’s what I’m seeing up there. I’m reading the pitches there. I’m having good judgement on the pitches and even the pitchers and what they’re throwing, and what I'm studying them as well. It’s comforting. This is the goal. Things are happening."
4. Fletcher handled situation nicely.
After Harrison was hit in the left hand, Nova took the mound and promptly hit Shuck with a fastball in the left hip. Fletcher immediately stepped in front of home plate to try make sure the situation would not escalate. He then issued a warning to Nova before the inning continued.
At the end of the inning, Nova was set to lead off the fourth, so Fletcher walked out to the mound and also warned Ureña to not attempt to retaliate against Nova. The situation was handled nicely by Fletcher, although it's fair to question his decision to not discipline Despaigne. There have been a number of brawls around the majors early this season, and subtle actions such as those by Fletcher can often be overlooked.
"You play on," Hurdle said. "I thought both teams handled it very professionally."
5. Difficult to replace Harrison.
Frazier has earned the opportunity to play every day and is capable of handling such a role offensively, but Harrison's injury is terrible news for the Pirates. Their bench is among the best in the majors with Harrison in the lineup, and he's a passionate leader in the clubhouse.
He's also playing well defensively and is effective in the leadoff spot. Frazier is an average to below average defender at second base, as he showed with his error, and an extended absence for Harrison will likely lead to Max Moroff being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. That's not good.
Moroff batted .200 in 140 plate appearances with the Pirates last season.