PHILADELPHIA — Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte, who missed nearly two weeks in late July and early August due to a concussion, is coming alive at the plate.
Marte went 3-for-5 with a single, a double and a two-run homer Monday in the Pirates’ 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Marte is batting .353 over that stretch, raising his average to .279.
“I’m really more comfortable,” he said, “because I see the ball very nice, every time the pitch is thrown.”
Manager Clint Hurdle was more expansive.
“He’s getting his foot down early,” he said. “He’s making good reads, good decisions on his swings. He’s hitting the ball where it’s pitched. He’s really not trying to jump anything. He’s just trying to square up the fastball, and he’s letting the breaking ball travel — not chasing down, getting the ones that are up and putting good swings on them. He’s been a very much improved offensive player since he came off the DL.”
Marte, who singled in the first and doubled in the third against Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick, hit an 0-1 fastball into the seats in left-center field for his homer in the fifth, putting the Pirates ahead to stay, 2-1.
He struck out swinging in his last two at-bats, against Kendrick and reliever Luis Garcia, but said later he wasn’t thinking about the cycle.
All he’s thinking about, really, is continuing to see the ball “very nice.”