Carmen Mlodzinski unable to get out of third inning as Pirates routed by Marlins

Matt Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Aug 12, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MIAMI — Carmen Mlodzinski made no secret of his desire to be in the starting rotation.

A season-ending injury to Mitch Keller reopened the door for those wishes to be granted, but the 27-year-old hasn’t delivered in his two latest chances as a starter.

Mlodzinski (6-5, 3.97 ERA) managed only 2 1/3 innings Wednesday night at loanDepot park, allowing four runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Miami Marlins, 8-2. In his last two games starting, Mlodzinski has given up nine runs in 5 1/3 innings.

The offense was stagnant yet again — totaling six hits and batting 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position — and the Pirates will leave the Sunshine State on Thursday as losers of seven consecutive series.

Janson Junk (6-7, 4.41) got the win for the Marlins, tossing six innings of two-run ball.

The Pirates led 1-0 in the second inning after a Marlins throwing error scored a run, and Mlodzinski needed 24 pitches to get through the bottom of the frame. The Marlins loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before Xavier Edwards ripped a tying RBI single.

Then, in the third, Mlodzinski continued to be hit hard. He gave up a walk and two doubles as the Marlins took a 2-1 lead, and his night was concluded after throwing 59 pitches.

Evan Sisk was the first out of the bullpen and inherited with runners on second and third. He issued a walk to load the bases, then hit a batter, walked another and gave up a sacrifice fly to let in three. The first two were charged to Mlodzinski, whose final line included five hits, four runs, three walks and one strikeout.

Lake Bachar took over on the mound for the Pirates in the fourth, but his return against his former team immediately turned sour. He gave up a leadoff home run to Griffin Conine, who crushed it 403 feet over the center-field wall.

Bachar got tagged again in the sixth when Heriberto Hernandez walloped a slider for a two-run shot to left field.

It was over when …

The Marlins scored four runs in the third inning, doing so with just two hits.

On the mound

Pirates manager Don Kelly said before the game he hoped Mlodzinski could cover three or four innings, but the right-hander fell short.

He gave up eight hard-hit balls (hit over 95 mph), including four with his sinker — which he threw the most out of his arsenal Wednesday. Mlodzinski was constantly grinding through at-bats and struggled mightily as a starter yet again.

It was a messy situation to step into for Sisk, who didn’t help matters with shaky command and gave up a run for the third-straight game.

The game was already lopsided when Bachar took over, and he gave up three runs in three innings before Kirby Yates covered the seventh and Camilo Doval took the eighth.

At the plate

Esmerlyn Valdez’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly marked his first RBI in nine games. Otherwise, the Pirates were kept at bay offensively and scored two or fewer runs for the seventh time in 11 games this month.

Bucs bites

— Oneil Cruz continued his rehab assignment with another appearance for Double-A Altoona, batting 2 for 5 with two singles. Across his last four games between Double-A and Triple-A Indianapolis, Cruz hit 2 for 13 and drew three walks. The Pirates remain tight-lipped about his timeline to return, as Kelly said Wednesday afternoon that, “as far as the hand goes, seems like we’re getting into a good spot.”

— Right-hander Khristian Curtis was reinstated from the 7-day injured list and added to the Triple-A Indianapolis roster. He threw five innings of shutout ball in his MLB debut on July 18 and made one appearance in Indianapolis before being placed on the IL.

Up next

The Pirates will look to avoid being swept for the first time since early June at 1:10 p.m. ET Thursday. With a 7.58 ERA since the All-Star break, Braxton Ashcraft (11-5, 4.08) will aim to snap out of a funk in the series finale. Righty Tyler Phillips (3-5, 3.47) will get the ball for the Marlins.

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