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Bucs enjoy early uprise

MIAMI — The hits piled up in a hurry early and continued throughout the game for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Francisco Cervelli drove in three runs and the Pirates scored eight times in the second inning in a 12-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

“It was one of those games where everybody’s running to the bat rack,” said Pirates third baseman Josh Harrison, who had three hits and drove in two runs.

Jordy Mercer homered and had two RBIs and Andrew McCutchen also drove in a pair of runs for the Pirates, who snapped a six-game losing streak to the Marlins.

Pittsburgh set season-highs in runs and hits by the fourth inning finishing with 18 hits and all eight starting position players recording at least one while Jose Osuna had four and Gift Ngoepe also had three.

“It’s the big leagues,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “These guys are hitters. Pitchers make mistakes and they capitalize.”

Pirates starter Jameson Taillon (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in five innings, lowering his ERA to 2.08.

Adam Conley (1-2) allowed nine runs in 1ª innings for Miami, which has lost three straight.

“I’m going to wash my hands of this game,” Conley said. “If I was going to stay angry about this one it would be July before I was over it. I’m done with this game.”

The Pirates broke open the game in the second scoring eight runs, all with two outs, and sent 14 batters to the plate. Eight consecutive Pirates reached base with two outs including a bases-clearing triple by Cervelli on a line drive that dropped under left fielder Marcell Ozuna’s glove and rolled to the warning track.

“I think we got some balls to hit, his command wasn’t sharp, we worked the counts, got ahead in the counts, and made him throw the fastball up and out over the plate,” Hurdle said.

Harrison’s base hit started the flurry followed by McCutchen’s two-run single before Cervelli’s three-run triple extended the lead to 8-0.

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