MIAMI – Winning close games means doing the little things right, something the Marlins have had little trouble with in 2023. Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Pirates on loanDepot park was the exception.

After left-hander Jesús Luzardo pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career, closer A.J. Puk allowed three runs in the ninth to blow his second save of the season.

Here are three things that stand out.

1. Inability to contain the run game
Miami’s pitching has been unable to hold runners all season, permitting 73 stolen bases -- second most in the National League. It proved costly for Puk.

“We've had conversations all year long, so I guess I have to message it a little bit differently to figure that out, because it's a real thing, and especially late in the game,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “You give guys chances to get back into a game or to win the game, and [it] kind of affected the outcome tonight.”

Pinch-hitter Josh Palacios blooped a two-strike single to lead off the ninth before Ke’Bryan Hayes flied out to left. After Andrew McCutchen reached on a swinging bunt, he and Palacios executed a double steal. Following a mound visit, Miami drew the infield in, and Connor Joe sharply grounded to shortstop Joey Wendle, who threw to first on the game-tying RBI groundout. McCutchen then stole third and scored on Carlos Santana’s go-ahead single to center.

Puk made way for Dylan Floro, who allowed back-to-back singles to Henry Davis and pinch-hitter Tucupita Marcano to extend the lead to 3-1.

“[I’ve] got to keep changing looks and be quicker to home, and that would help limit them for sure,” said Puk, who had permitted two steals entering Friday.

2. To throw or not to throw
After the game, Wendle was still contemplating whether he made the right decision throwing to first rather than home on Joe’s sharp groundout. Schumaker didn’t have an issue with it, because Palacios got a head start on contact and Wendle wound up on his knees.

Wendle, the primary shortstop for the first time in his career, entered Friday with 2 defensive runs saved and -1 outs above average.

“I've spent from that point until now thinking about it and just the decision to go to first instead of home,” Wendle said. “Obviously, in that circumstance [with the] infield in, you want the run at home. It wasn't the game-winning run. I felt like with where I was, I saw he had a full head of steam going home. Maybe in hindsight, I rip that and let it go to home.

“I felt like in the moment it was less than a 50/50 chance, and I took the sure out at first. Obviously, I'm going to second guess myself, beat myself up about it a little bit. But at the end of the day, I trust my decision-making. In real time, obviously that happens pretty quick. I had to leave my feet, didn't have a great grip on the ball, didn't have a lot of momentum going towards the plate. He's a [65-grade] runner. So all those things kind of played into it in the moment. I stand by that decision to go to first.”

3. On the ground
Perhaps Puk doesn’t take the mound if Miami breaks the game open in the first against Luis L. Ortiz, who wound up going eight innings.

Luis Arraez, who went 3-for-4 to bump his average to .402, and Jorge Soler singled to open the frame. After Bryan De La Cruz struck out, Jesús Sánchez produced an RBI single. Garrett Cooper then walked to load the bases, but Jon Berti grounded into an inning-ending double play.

That would be the first of three on the night for the Marlins, who have an MLB-high 85. The club also entered Friday with a 46.6 percent ground-ball rate -- second in MLB. Ortiz induced 12 groundouts to just three flyouts.

“We didn't have many chances after that,” Schumaker said. “Ortiz did a really good job. We had trouble getting the ball off the ground tonight in general. After that first inning, Ortiz did a really good job of keeping the sinker down and running it on our hands and us chasing maybe a little bit. But I thought Ortiz did a really good job after that first inning to really shut us down and kept us off the barrel, and we just couldn't get it off the ground and not in the air.”