Phillies use Pirates’ error to win second straight extra-inning game
FINAL: Phillies 2, Pirates 1
Another day, another extra-inning win in Pittsburgh.
For the second straight night, the Phillies pulled victory in the 10th inning as they defeated the Pirates 2-1 at PNC Park on Saturday night.
Philadelphia took the lead in the top of the 10th as Matt Vierling hit a routine grounder to first base that Pittsburgh’s Michael Chavis decided to fire to third in an attempt to throw out automatic runner Didi Gregorius. The throw sailed away, allowing Gregorius to score and giving the Phillies their game-winning run.
A pitchers’ duel between Philadelphia’s Ranger Suárez and Mitch Keller of the Pirates for much of the night, the first run didn’t score until Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto led off the sixth inning with an opposite-field home run.
As José Alvarado replaced Suárez in the bottom in the seventh, the Pirates evened the score on a Cal Mitchell homer.
Once the Phillies went ahead in extras, Corey Knebel took the mound for his second inning. He earned the win with the help of Gregorius, who applied the tag as Knebel picked off the automatic runner at second and made a sliding play up the middle in the 10th.
The Phillies’ starter Suárez put together a gem for the Phillies, cruising through six scoreless innings. The left-hander allowed three hits, a walk and a hit by pitch while striking out eight batters.
Keller, Pittsburgh’s starter, worked around trouble throughout his outing. The Phillies loaded the bases against him in the first and had their leadoff batter reach base in the first four innings, but Keller didn’t allow a run until the sixth.