PITTSBURGH -- Tony Sanchez knows hes heading back to Triple-A soon enough. The Pittsburgh Pirates backup catcher will be going to Indianapolis when Russell Martins strained left hamstring is healed. Its a reality Sanchez can deal with so long as he makes a contribution while given the chance. At the moment, thats hardly a problem. Sanchez tiebreaking single off Baltimores Ryan Webb in the bottom of the seventh scored Starling Marte to give the Pirates the lead for good in a 9-8 win on Wednesday night. Coming off an embarrassing 9-2 loss on Tuesday and desperately in need of something positive, Sanchez helped Pittsburgh earn a split of the brief two-game interleague set. "Its almost a must win," Sanchez said. "We didnt have a really good road trip. To start off this homestand and go 0-2 it wouldnt have been pretty. Thats huge for me." Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4 with an RBI and his first two extra-base hits in more than two weeks for Pittsburgh, which won for only the third time in its past nine games. Marte and Ike Davis had three hits and two RBIs apiece for the Pirates. Bryan Morris (4-0) earned the victory after allowing the Orioles to tie the game in the top of the seventh. No biggie. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save, one that capped a weird night in which the teams combined for 14 runs in the first two innings while starters Wandy Rodriguez and Chris Tillman took turns getting hit hard. It ended in more orderly fashion after Marte led off the seventh with a bunt single, moved to third on a single by Davis and scored when Sanchez laced a Webb offering into right field. "Its a game-winning hit, hes got a few of them," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Sanchez. "Hes got extreme confidence." Nelson Cruz hit his 14th homer of the season and drove in three runs for the Orioles. Nick Markakis, Chris Davis and JJ Hardy had two hits and one RBI apiece but Baltimore left 10 men on base. "You had two early exits from starters and it became a game out of the bullpen and they pushed one across there late," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "But our guys, we had a couple opportunities to score some more, but I cant fault the offence." Pittsburgh began the night eight games under .500 in part because of a struggling starting staff that has hardly looked like the group that led the team to the post-season last fall. Things didnt get much better, but the bullpen briefly recaptured its touch. Vin Mazzaros worked 3 1-3 innings of hitless relief to steady things after Rodriguez made a mess of things during 1 2-3 poor innings. The veteran left-hander has struggled with his command and his conviction all season and did little to convince Hurdle he was ready to turn the corner despite being spotted a 4-0 first-inning lead thanks in part to a two-run triple by Marte. The 35-year-old Rodriguez, in the final year of his contract, promptly gave the big lead away as Cruz led off the second a blistering solo home run and added a two-run double later in the inning to put the Orioles in front. Rodriguezs throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Tillman meant he was only charged with one earned run for his 1 2-3 innings of work, dropping his ERA from 6.84 to 6.75. Hurdle said it was too early to discuss whether Rodriguez would make his next start, though Rodriguez insists hes healthy after missing time early this season with a left knee injury. Tillman couldnt take advantage of the reprieve. Coming off a shutout win over Kansas City in his previous start, Tillman only managed to get three outs. He failed to retire a batter in the second as the first six Pittsburgh batters reached base. Brad Brach came on in relief to get out of the inning, but not until after the Orioles trailed 8-6. NOTES: Pirates closer Jason Grilli could return as early as Saturday. Grilli has been on the disabled list since sustaining a left oblique strain on April 20. He threw 20 pitches in a simulated game on Tuesday without incident ... The Orioles sent LHP Wei-Yin Chen back to Baltimore ahead of the team on Wednesday as a precaution due to concerns over weather in Pittsburgh. Chen (5-2, 3.69 ERA) is scheduled to start on Thursday against Cleveland. ... The Pirates begin a four-game series with Washington on Thursday. Edinson Volquez (1-4, 4.71) starts for the Pirates against Washingtons Blake Treinen (0-1, 0.77). Authentic Keanu Neal Jersey . - Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin is now a free agent. Authentic Matt Ryan Jersey . And by all indications, the team is expected to select phenom Connor McDavid with their selection. The Buffalo Sabres, who were knocked down to the second overall pick after finishing with the worst regular season record, are expected to take the other generational player in Jack Eichel. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-jack-crawford-jersey . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. Authentic Matt Schaub Jersey . Among the teams moves was trading one of the teams two third round picks, no. 83 overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bollig, a six-foot-two, 223-pound left-winger who had seven goals, seven assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 82 games last season. Authentic Justin Zimmer Jersey . The agreement comes a little more than one week after the video game manufacturer agreed to a $40 million settlement in a similar but separate case, bringing the total payout planned for athletes to $60 million, said Steve Berman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, and the NCAA.NEW YORK -- Michael Taylors parents planned to come see him this weekend, so they missed his smashing start. At least the rookie had a proud souvenir to show them -- barely. Taylor homered in his big league debut, setting off a silly sequence to retrieve the keepsake, and the Washington Nationals backed Doug Fister with four long shots Tuesday night in a 7-1 romp over the New York Mets. "Definitely better than I imagined," Taylor said, his cellphone buzzing every few seconds with happy messages. Bryce Harper homered early, then Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond and Taylor connected in the sixth inning as the NL East leaders won their ninth straight at Citi Field. Promoted from Triple-A over the weekend, Taylor singled in his first at-bat and later hit a two-run drive the opposite way at one of the majors most spacious parks. A ball boy ran out to right field to pick up Taylors home run ball, but mistakenly tossed it to a young fan in the stands. Alerted to his error, the ball boy and a couple of security guards quickly worked out a trade of another ball to reclaim the prize. Taylor said he heard about the scramble, but didnt see it. He admitted he was "kind of numb" standing at first base after his first hit, and was "just trying to breathe and relax and enjoy it" after his home run. The balls from both moments were in his locker following the game. Taylor finished 2 for 4. The 23-year-old outfielder hit a combined .315 with 22 homers and 35 stolen bases in the minors this season, almost all of it at Double-A. Taylor got to start while star outfielder Jayson Werth got an MRI on his aching right shoulder. The team didnt have the results on that exam right after the game. Fister (12-3) came back from a 25-minute rain delay and pitched seven shutout innings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out three. Fister also hit a single for good measure after a 1-for-30 start at the plate this year. "Doug throws what he wants when he wants and where he wants," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "When you go up there, especially when youre looking at our lineup four through nine, theyre all pretty young, and he can carve you up and he does." Fister sounded more excited about Taylors performance than his own. "Hell always remember Day 1," the veterran pitcher said, adding, "as a young guy, youve got to rag him a little bit.dddddddddddd" Fister was on deck when Taylor homered. As Taylor passed by on the way back to the dugout, Fister wisecracked to him: "Oh, its that easy, huh?" Asdrubal Cabrera hit two doubles and a single as the Nationals improved to 23-4 at Citi Field dating to 2011. The only Washington starter who didnt get on base was leadoff man Denard Span, ending his 14-game hitting streak and his string of reaching safely at 36 games. Rafael Montero (0-3) was tagged for three homers and five runs in five-plus innings. He was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day after impressive rookie Jacob deGrom went on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis. Mets star David Wright singled twice, giving him an 11-game hitting streak. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: Manager Matt Williams said Werths shoulder was "inflamed and sore," yet added, "I dont think its a DL situation." UP NEXT Fresh off his 200th career win, Mets RHP Bartolo Colon (11-9, 3.97) starts Wednesday night vs. Nationals RHP Jordan Zimmermann (7-5, 3.06). Desmond has tagged Colon, going 3 for 6 with two homers lifetime against him. Zimmermann is 1-1 in his last six starts. DES-TINY Desmond hit his 20th home run, the third straight year hes reached the mark. He connected as the Nats hit three homers in an inning for the first time since Sept. 5, 2012. HOME AWAY FROM HOME This was the fifth time that the Nationals have hit at least four home runs in a game at Citi Field, all in the last two seasons. The Mets have had a total of five games with at least four homers at Citi Field since the park opened in 2009. STRIKE FORCE Williams led the majors with 43 homers for the Giants on Aug. 12, 1994, when a players strike started and wound up wiping out the rest of the season and the World Series. Williams was on a pace for nearly 61 home runs, which wouldve matched the then-record held by Roger Maris. Williams said the strike was painful at the time, but that the effects helped benefit the game in later years. As for his own chance at history, "To say I felt like I had a lost season isnt accurate," Williams said. So, does he think he wouldve reached 61? "I dont think so," he said. "No way." ' ' '