Back end of bullpen buckles in loss to Pirates

Final Score: Pirates 8, Phillies 7

PITTSBURGH — The Phillies back end mix that has worked all season leaked in the first game out of the break. 

Both Orion Kerkering and José Alvarado, two relievers that have hit a speed bump in recent weeks, surrendered a pair of runs in both the seventh and ninth innings in a tough 8-7 walk-off loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nick Gonzales drove in the game-winning run on a base hit to left field to win it in front of the largest crowd at PNC Park since 2015.

The Phillies led 7-4 as late as the bottom of the seventh, with Kerkering set to face the top of the order. Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds began the inning with a single and a double before Oneil Cruz drove in his third run of the game on an RBI single. Rowdy Tellez made it a one-run game on his third sacrifice fly of the night and Cruz bailed Kerekering out of the inning by getting called out at second on an aggressive tag play.

Alvarado came in needing to protect a one-run lead, but he could not get ahead of hitters or keep the ball out over the middle of the plate. He allowed a leadoff single to Connor Joe, which led the Pirates to bring on the speedy Michael A. Taylor as a pinch runner. Taylor and McCutchen pulled off the double steal and two batters later, Cruz was able to tie the game on a ground ball up the middle. Sosa came home with the throw, but it was too late. Taylor scored to tie the game and Cruz was safe at first. The next batter Gonzales singled to walk it off.

Kerkering’s outing is the first time in his big league career that he has allowed multiple runs in an outing. It’s the first time he has been charged with an earned run since June 19, but he has been getting hit around in the last few weeks. He has allowed 14 hits in his last 12 appearances.

Alvarado has also been dealing with his own struggles. He has allowed seven earned runs in July and has an 11.81 ERA in six appearances.

“It looks like the stuff is there, the velocity is there, the shapes are there. He’s not getting much swing-and-miss,” Thomson said. “He must be missing over the plate. I’ve seen a lot of guys go through this during the course of the year and they fight out of it. He will.”

Thomson mentioned that Alvarado could see some lower leverage situations as he works his way back to familiar form.

Starter Aaron Nola allowed three runs in the first and ran his pitch count up early, but he was able to finish five innings at 80 pitches with four earned runs allowed.

The Phillies did score seven runs, but they missed chances to tack on some insurance late in the game. They had the first two runners on in the top of the ninth with Weston Wilson, who was 3-for-3 with a home run, in the box facing righty Carmen Mlodzinski. Thomson let Wilson take the at-bat and he fouled out. Stubbs flew out and the pinch hitter Brandon Marsh struck out to leave both runners stranded.

Did Thomson think about pinch hitting Bryson Stott for Wilson? Wilson was eventually replaced by Johan Rojas, who played center field with Marsh in left.

“I don’t think so,” Thomson said. “He had a great night against right-handers too. You let him go.”

Highlights

• The Phillies scored three in the first on a two-run double by Nick Castellanos inside the left-field line and an infield single from Wilson.

• The Pirates got all three back a half inning later. Cruz scorched a 120 mph double off the wall in center field.
• Wilson gave the Phillies the lead back in the third on his first home run of the year. It barely cleared the short wall in left field.

• Cruz’s game-changing power and speed led to another Pirates run in the bottom of the third. He crushed a 114 mph cutter dead center to the wall in right field for his second double of the game. He later advanced to third on a 5-3 putout and scored on Rowdy Tellez’s second sacrifice fly of the game.
• Another wall-scraper, this time from Trea Turner, gave the Phillies a 6-4 lead. It was his ninth home run in his last 14 games.

• Jeff Hoffman struck out the side against the Pirates in the eighth inning.

Notes

• Catcher Garrett Stubbs was hit in the right arm/wrist area. He stayed in the game. Thomson said that there is a little bit of swelling that popped up near the end of the game and that they will check him out on Saturday.
• Thomson provided injury updates on J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker before the game.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Saturday, July 20 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park
• 6:40 p.m. EST
• NBC Sports Philadelphia
• 94 WIP

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