The Florida Marlins came to town tonight as the hottest team in the major leagues, but a dose of soggy spring weather and Pirates right-hander Ross Ohlendorf cooled them off.
Ohlendorf tossed seven shutout innings, as the Pirates cruised to an 8-0 victory. The Marlins went into the game riding a seven-game winning streak. They had won 11 of their first 12 games, the franchise's best-ever start. However, six of those victories were suspect, coming against the woeful Washington Nationals.
Ohlendorf (1-2) gave up two hits ? a leadoff single in the first inning and another in the fourth ? walked one and struck out five. He retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.
The official tally of witnesses for Ohlendorf's first victory in eight career starts for the Pirates was 8,790. However, the actual number of fans in the seats on the chilly, rainy night at PNC Park was less than a third of that.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against lefty Andrew Miller.
Leadoff hitter Nyjer Morgan drew a four-pitch walk. He had walked just twice in his first 56 plate appearances, despite a .375 on-base percentage.
Morgan got a huge jump against Miller and stole second base without drawing a throw from catcher John Baker. It was one of three steals the Pirates had in the game.
With one out, Nate McLouth bounced an RBI single up the middle.
Adam LaRoche began the fourth by blasting a double off the Clemente Wall. Andy LaRoche flied out to deep right and Adam LaRoche hustled into third, just ahead of Cody Ross' throw.
After Jack Wilson walked, Miller threw a wild pitch. Adam LaRoche scored.
A pair of two-out walks were costly to Miller in the fifth inning. McLouth and Craig Monroe were in motion when Adam LaRoche singled to left field on a 3-2 pitch, so both runners scored easily.
Miller (0-1) lasted 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on five hits, four walks and two wild pitches. He has lost six straight decisions, going back to June 2008.
Reliever Logan Kensing took over for Miller and was just as messy.
In the sixth, Jason Jaramillo hit a leadoff single off Kensing. Nyjer Morgan's one-out single moved Jaramillo to third.
Kensing balked, scoring Jaramillo and sending Morgan to second. Freddy Sanchez walked.
McLouth swatted the first pitch high over the right field wall. The ball bounced off the stadium concourse and became the 24th ball to splash-land in the Allegheny River.
The distance on McClouth's three-run homer was 433 feet.
