Pirates blow big lead losing 1st game of Phillies series

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates led at one point 6-0 and 8-5 entering the ninth when the Phillies fought back to tie it against a wild Gregory Soto in the ninth. Philadelphia then won it with three runs in the 10^th, final 11-9.

Late rally

Konnor Griffin’s sixth error started the ninth and after a ground out, Soto walked the next three Phillies batters, including Kyle Schwarber, forcing in a run. Bryce Harper was inches from giving the Phillies the lead, but his fly ball to right center hit high off the wall as a two-run single and the game was back even at 8-8.

Schwarber hit a pair of home runs (1^st in MLB to 20 HR) and drove in five. Pirates Brandon Lowe also hit two homers and had three RBI.

NL leading hitter Brandon Marsh doubled off the Clemente Wall to lead off the 10^th off reliever Dennis Santana followed by singles by Bryson Stott and Rafael Marchan to score three runs.

Philadelphia scored the last eight of the last nine runs of the game as chants of ‘Let’s Go Phillies echoed through PNC Park.

Rare 6-pack

For the first time in a decade the Pirates scored six runs in an inning against Philadelphia. Making his second start of the year, Endy Rodriguez worked a walk in the third inning following a Griffin single. After a sacrifice bunt from Jared Triolo, that was initially ruled a hit, Oneil Cruz drove in Griffin and Rodriguez with a single and trotted home on Brandon Lowe's 109 mph home run. Bryan Reynolds singled and with two-outs Marcell Ozuna smashed a home run, also 109 mph, into the Pirates bullpen. It was Ozuna’s 28^th career homer against Philadelphia.

Cone caught

Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez caught Ozuna’s home run inside an upside-down traffic cone. After a mis-printed promotional Pirates t-shirt (‘raise the cones’ was printed on the shirt instead of ‘raise the colors’), the traffic cone has been the symbol the Pirates have used when celebrating a moment in the game. The fans quickly embraced it and you see traffic cones appear throughout the ballpark. Ramirez danced around in celebration after catching the home run ball that made it 6-0.

Ashcraft persevered

In his first career start against the Phillies, Braxton Ashcraft gave up four runs, seven hits, hit two batters and struck out five. The right-hander had only given up one run in his previous two starts in May (14.2 innings).

Notes

• Cruz and Ozuna each drove in 2 runs
• Everyone in the Pirates lineup got on base at least once
• In the 6^th inning a pitch from Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan ran inside and apparently hit Griffin as he was shaking his hand. Phillies thought it hit off the bat and after a challenge, the hit batter call was overturned. Griffin had to come back to the plate and eventually struck out.
• Pirates rookie reliever Brandan Bidois closed out the 10^th inning getting all three batters, two on strikeouts
• 2 shy of 30,000—attendance Friday was 29,998 on a 66 degree evening

Up Next

RHP Bubba Chandler (1-4, 4.62 ERA) starts for the Pirates against lefty Cristopher Sanchez (4-2, 2.11 ERA). Sanchez is third in the majors with 67 strikeouts. Dan Zangrilli starts the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 3p on Saturday with first pitch at 4:05 all on 93.7 The Fan.