Marcano's first slam, Ortiz's first win power Pirates past Rangers 6-4
Tucupita Marcano hit his first career grand slam, rookie Luis Ortiz pitched into the eighth inning and earned his first major league victory and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 6-4.
Ortiz (1-2) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings for the win in his eighth career start, including four this season. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out four and walked two in a 93-pitch effort.
Marcano's slam to straightaway center field off Joe Barlow capped a five-run seventh inning and put the Pirates ahead 6-1.
Earlier in the inning, Carlos Santana singled to drive in Bryan Reynolds with the go-ahead run with two outs on a play that was overturned after a video review. Reynolds was originally called out on right fielder Adolis Garcia's throw to home plate, a play that would have ended the inning.
Texas rookie Josh Jung hit a two-run homer — his 10th of the season — off closer David Bednar in the ninth inning, pulling the Rangers within 6-4. Bednar then retired the final two batters.
Andrew McCutchen, Reynolds and Marcano each had two hits for the Pirates, who won for the fourth time in 11 games and snapped the Rangers' three-game winning streak..
Rangers starter Dane Dunning allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision. He scattered six hits, struck out three and walked three. In four starts since taking the place of the injured star Jacob deGrom in the rotation, Dunning has been charged with just four runs in 22 2/3 innings for a 1.59 ERA.
Josh Sborz (1-2) allowed three runs in one inning of relief and took the loss. The Rangers got two hits from Jung, Nathaniel Lowe and Leody Taveras.
The Pirates opened the scoring in the second inning when Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a leadoff double and scored on Connor Joe's ground out.
Corey Seager's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning drew the Rangers into a 1-all tie.
Marcus Semien hit an RBI single for the Rangers in the eighth to end Ortiz's night.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: DeGrom (right elbow inflammation) threw all fastballs during a 32-pitch bullpen session before the game. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will add breaking balls when he has his next bullpen on Friday, when the Rangers are in Baltimore. DeGrom has been on the injured list since April 29.
UP NEXT:
Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-2, 2.83 ERA) will face LHP Rich Hill (4-3, 3.80) on Tuesday night in the second game of the three-game series. Eovaldi is 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his last six starts, and Hill is 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA in his last six outings.
