Phillies score 20 of last 21 runs to complete sweep

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Not even Paul Skenes could save the Pirates from weekend sweep by the Phillies. The NL Cy Young Award winner giving up five runs in five innings after giving up a run or less in seven of his last eight outings. Final 6-0 in front of a sold-out crowd (37,820) Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.

After trailing 6-0 and 8-5 in the ninth inning in the first game Friday night, the Phillies outscored the Pirates 20-1 with back-to-back 6-0 shutouts.

It was a career-long 20-inning scoreless streak by Skenes until the fifth.

Adolis Garcia drew leadoff walk (the first walk allowed by Skenes in 39 innings, the longest streak by a Pirate since Bob Friend in 1963). Following a Bryson Stott strikeout, Phillies manager Don Mattingly sent Garcia on a hit-and-run which allowed Garcia to get to third on a single by JT Realmuto. Konnor Griffin made a diving stop on Justin Crawford’s hard-hit ground ball to his right, got the out, but a run scored. Then Trai Turner poked a ground ball down the right field line to score Realmuto.

In the sixth, Bryce Harper hammered a leadoff home run, then a single by Alec Bohm and double from Brandon Marsh chased Skenes (5 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts). Reliever Isaac Mattson hit his first batter to load the bases and then Stott doubled in a pair, both charged to Skenes.

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Even when the Pirates thought they hit a home run, Brandon Lowe’s shot to right field, caught by a fan in the first row in the sixth inning was overturned by replay and ruled fan interference. It was changed to a two-out double, Bryan Reynolds would ground out to end the inning and no run.

Lowe was the only Pirates runner to reach second base off Phillies starter Zach Wheeler who allowed four hits, a walk and struck out eight.

Notes

• AAA catcher Rafael Flores hit his 4^th homer and now with 23 RBI
• AAA righty Wilber Dotel, who got a brief look at the majors this year, was used in relief 2 innings, 1 hit, no runs, no walks, 3 strikeouts
• AAA outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez hit his 8^th home run of the season. The 22-year-old, right-handed hitter had 26 home runs in the minors last season.
• 6’7”, 21-year-old High A outfielder Tony Blanco went 3 for 5 with his 7^th home run and now 24 RBI
• High A catcher Easton Carmichael went 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI hitting his 7^th home run and batting .318 for the season

Up Next

Following an off day on Monday, the Pirates open a three-game series in St. Louis Tuesday with Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.59 ERA) against LHP Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 4.40 ERA). Dan Zangrilli starts the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 6:50 Tuesday on 93.7 The Fan.