Marte returns, ignites Bucco rally

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Starling Marte could feel the jitters as he darted out of the dugout and onto the field in a major league game for the first time in three months.

The Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder dreaded what may await following an 80-game performance-enhancing suspension that staggered his team in mid-April leading to a funk from which it is now just emerging.

Then the fans rose to their feet and greeted Marte with an ovation. He exhaled. And the player the Pirates are hoping can help them elbow their way back into the crowded NL Central checked all the boxes. He made a diving grab of a sinking liner to end the first inning. He slapped a single through the middle in the fourth and drew a four-pitch walk in the sixth that served as the kindling of a two-out rally that helped the Pirates edge the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday night.

“Today’s a new era, a new journey,” said Marte, who finished 1 for 3 in his first game since April 17.

“It feels great. I felt good and I’m just excited to continue battling out there and helping get victories for our team.”

Pittsburgh’s late surge began in the bottom of the sixth when Francisco Cervelli led off with a home run.

Marte walked with two outs and scored on Josh Harrison’s blast to the seats in right field that tied the game.

David Freese put the Pirates ahead later in the inning with an RBI single off reliever Oliver Drake (3-3) as Pittsburgh won its third straight to pull within five games of the first-place Brewers.

Ivan Nova (10-6) survived six innings to get the win. Felipe Rivero worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth for his eighth save as the Pirates drew within two games of .500 (46-48) for the first time since May.

Travis Shaw went 3 for 4, including a three-run homer off Nova in the third but was ejected along with manager Craig Counsell in the eighth for arguing with home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski.

Eric Thames, Hernan Perez and Manny Pina all had two hits each but Milwaukee left eight runners on while losing its third straight for the first time since early June.

Brewers starter Junior Guerra faced the minimum over his first five innings in his return from a trip to the disabled list with a right shin contusion.

It all unraveled in the sixth. Guerra exited after Harrison put a ball over the 21-foot high Clemente Wall to tie the game.

“It’s the best we’ve seen him this year,” Counsell said of Guerra.

“It’s really something positive to build on. He made some mistakes in the sixth with his fastball and he got behind.”

Marte spent most of his suspension at Pittsburgh’s minor league complex in Florida, watching the Pirates fight to stay on the fringe of the wide-open Central. If there’s any anger at what he called a “careless” mistake, it didn’t show.

The two-time Gold Glover was greeted by applause when he jogged out to his post before the first pitch.

The cheers grew louder when he made a sliding grab on a sinking liner by Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun - who still gets booed at PNC Park four years removed from his own PED suspension - to end the inning.

“That’s the way I play,” Marte said.

“It feels good to be back. I’m healthy, I’m focused. Starting off with a play like that, reminds not only the people but especially me this is where I belong.”