PITTSBURGH – Matt Joyce made the most of his opportunity filling in for Starling Marte.
Joyce homered among his three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
Gregory Polanco had three hits and three runs scored, and Jon Niese pitched six effective innings to help the Pirates snap a four-game home losing streak.
Joyce stepped into the starting lineup and played right field as Marte was placed on the paternity list before the game after his wife gave birth to their daughter Monday morning. Polanco moved from right field to left to take Marte’s spot.
“We have a very talented outfield here so it’s tough to crack the lineup very often,” Joyce said. “I’m just happy to contribute when I get an opportunity.”