Bucs can’t write happy ending after sticking to script

MIAMI — For six innings Tuesday night, the Pirates and Marlins stuck to the script. The principal characters, Gerrit Cole and Jose Fernandez, were characteristically in control. The young aces combined to hang up 13 zeros on the Marlins Park scoreboard before one finally cracked.

In the end, Fernandez outdueled Cole as the Pirates gave up three runs in the seventh, saw a ninth-inning rally fizzle and lost, 3-1.

“It was a fun ballgame there for about six innings,” Cole said.

Cole worked his way out of trouble in the first, third and sixth innings before Miami finally ended the pitchers’ duel. Ichiro Suzuki and J.T. Realmuto singled, and Christian Yelich delivered the first blow.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle thought Cole struck out Yelich on a 1-2 fastball down in the zone, but it was called a ball. Two pitches later, Cole left a slider up in the zone and Yelich lashed it into right field.

Cole then walked Marcell Ozuna, yanking the last pitch past catcher Francisco Cervelli. Realmuto came home to score on the wild pitch, and Cole left the game …

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