Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a habit of playing close games in the early part of this young season. They'll try to get back on the winning side of one in tonight's middle contest of a three-game series with the Florida Marlins from Dolphin Stadium.

Pittsburgh came through with a pair of extra-inning victories in its season- opening series at Atlanta, but came up on the short end of a one-run decision in Friday's matchup with the Marlins. Florida's Mike Jacobs belted a game- winning solo homer off Franquelis Osoria to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and lift the Fish to a 5-4 triumph.

Jacobs, who ended 3-for-5 with three runs scored on the evening, crushed a 1-1 offering from Osoria (1-1) into the right field bleachers to give the Marlins their second walkoff win of the year. Florida defeated the New York Mets -- also by a 5-4 score -- on Tuesday via a tie-breaking solo home run from pinch- hitter Robert Andino in the 10th inning.

Josh Willingham added a two-run blast for the Marlins in Friday's win, while Hanley Ramirez collected three hits to help Florida rebound from a 13-0 dismantling by the Mets on Wednesday.

Kevin Gregg got the victory for Florida after throwing a scoreless top of the ninth. Marlins starter Scott Olsen worked the first six innings and gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out five.

Ryan Doumit went 3-for-5 with a solo homer to lead Pittsburgh offensively. Chris Gomez, filling in for an ailing Freddy Sanchez at second base, delivered a two-run single in defeat.

Sanchez left Thursday's victory over Atlanta in the sixth inning due to soreness in his surgically-repaired shoulder and was scratched from the lineup prior to last night's contest. The two-time All-Star could be back in action tonight, however.

The Pirates were also without regular shortstop Jack Wilson, who is day-to-day with a strained left calf.

Pittsburgh will take its swings tonight against Marlins Opening Day starter Mark Hendrickson, who was done in by one bad inning in his first outing of 2008. The towering left-hander held the Mets scoreless through the first three frames this past Monday, but surrendered six runs on five hits in the fourth to suffer the loss in Florida's 7-2 setback.

Hendrickson, who signed with the Marlins as a free agent over the winter, has made two career starts against Pittsburgh and went 1-0 with a 3.27 earned run average in those games. The 33-year-old has not faced the Pirates since 2005, however.

He will be opposed by a fellow southpaw tonight in Paul Maholm, who is set to make his season debut for Pittsburgh. The former first-round pick compiled a 10-15 record with a 5.02 ERA in an up-and-down 2007 campaign that was plagued by struggles on the road. In 14 starts away from home last year, Maholm went just 4-8 with a 6.14 ERA, while opponents hit a robust .328 against him over that stretch.

One of Maholm's better road performances came in Dolphin Stadium, however. Back on June 26, the 25-year-old limited the Marlins to two runs on just three hits through 7 2/3 innings to record the victory in a 3-2 Pittsburgh win.

For his career, Maholm is 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA in three starts against Florida.

With Friday's triumph, the Marlins have now defeated Pittsburgh in seven of the last 10 meetings between the clubs at Dolphin Stadium. The Pirates did win two of three tilts in their lone visit to Miami last year, however.