Moss, Vazquez power Pirates

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July 3, 2009

Anonymous The Tribune-Democrat Fri Jul 03, 2009, 11:49 PM EDT

MIAMI — Brandon Moss and Ramon Vazquez homered and Charlie Morton pitched six shutout innings to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Florida Marlins 7-4 on Friday night.

Hanley Ramirez failed to drive in a run for the first time in 11 games for Florida, which was coming off a three-game sweep of Washington.

Morton (1-1) gave up one hit, walked four and struck out four as the Pirates beat Florida for the fourth straight time and improved to 14-8 against the NL East. Pittsburgh swept a home series against the Marlins in April.

Andrew McCutchen’s run-scoring double and Jack Wilson’s two-run double highlighted a three-run seventh that gave Pittsburgh a 7-0 lead.

John Baker had three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the ninth for the Marlins.

Ramirez entered the game with the longest consecutive-game RBI streak by an NL shortstop since the statistic began being officially kept in 1920. Ramirez’s best opportunity came in the sixth, when he popped to short with runners on first and third and one out.

Chris Volstad (5-8) allowed four runs and three hits in three innings. He bunted into an inning-ending double play immediately following a 45-minute rain delay in the third, then was replaced by Tim Wood to start the fourth.

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first when Moss hit a two-out homer just over the wall in right-center. It was his second of the season.

Vazquez’s two-run shot in the second made it 3-0. Andy LaRoche walked with one out before Vazquez homered to right on Volstad’s first pitch.

Pittsburgh’s lead increased to 4-0 when McCutchen scored on Moss’s fielder’s choice.

Florida scored twice in the seventh, when Cody Ross and Baker had back-to-back doubles and pinch-hitter Ross Gload followed with a single.

The game started 30 minutes late due to storms in the area.

Notes: Florida’s Emilio Bonifacio (0 for 4) had his nine-game hitting streak snapped. ... Pittsburgh 2B Freddy Sanchez (back tightness) was a late scratch. He was listed as day-to-day. ... Marlins RHP Kiko Calero (shoulder) is scheduled to throw today and Monday at Class A Jupiter (Florida State League). If all goes well, he could rejoin the Marlins in Arizona next weekend.

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Moss, Vazquez power Pirates

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