Cruz, of course, tied for the MLB lead in spring training home runs with seven. Little did anyone know, that would be the last run scored for several innings.

Reynolds proved his back is perfectly fine with his second-inning homer, which erased an early two-run lead for the Marlins. Sinker up, left-center, gone. Reynolds loves hitting heat, especially at the top of the zone, and he didn’t miss this particular pitch.

It went 406 feet, leaving his bat at 107.5 mph, but the score changed against nearly as quickly as the ball left the yard.

In the bottom of the third, Jake Burger lined a sweeper low and away into left for a two-run single. The Marlins scored another run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

This one included one of several mistakes for the Pirates — specifically Keller unable to start a successful double-play turn with an accurate throw in the third. Triolo committed an error an inning before, while the Pirates also had a sixth inning they’d rather forget, with Cruz and Triolo striking out looking with the bases loaded.

The bottom of the first was a dream for Keller, who threw just six pitches, all strikes. But he struggled in the second, victimized by a leadoff walk and more.

Following Triolo’s fumbled flip, Tim Anderson doubled Miami’s lead with his double into the right-field corner.

Keller concern?

In the spring, it was chalked up to a lack of intensity. Early-season stuff, Keller and Pirates manager Derek Shelton insisted. Well, it happened in the regular season, too.

The right-hander was missing a little over 2 mph on his sinker, the pitch averaging 91.7 mph against the Marlins compared to 93.9 mph last season. A dip in velocity was a little less pronounced on Keller’s four-seamer (95.2 mph to 93.8 on Thursday, a dip of 1.4 mph), but still.

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