Sports

Pirates Drop Third Straight To Phillies, Lose 3-0

September 25, 2021 / 7:26 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ranger Suarez pitched a four-hit shutout, Bryce Harper homered and the Philadelphia Phillies kept up their playoff push, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 Saturday for their fifth straight win.

The Phillies began the day 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East. Philadelphia visits the Braves in a three-game series beginning Tuesday.

Suarez (7-5) allowed just four singles, walked none, and struck out seven in his first major league complete game. He didn't permit a runner past first base and faced only one batter more than the minimum, keeping the Pirates off-balance and generating a lot of weak contact.

Moved from the bullpen into the rotation in August, the 26-year-old lefty had never thrown more than 6 2/3 innings in a game prior to this outing. But he was efficient with his 97 pitches and seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, striking out four consecutive batters in the seventh and eighth innings.

Harper hit his 34th home run and Matt Vierling hit his first major league homer as the Phillies (81-74) improved to a season-best seven games over .500.

Vierling and Harper both hit solo homers in the third off Will Crowe (4-8). Vierling also singled and walked.

Harper hit 35 homers in 2019, his first season in Philadelphia. No Phillies player has hit more than 35 homers in a season since Ryan Howard (45) and Jayson Werth (36) in 2009.

Brad Miller added his RBI hit in the fifth inning to give Suarez an insurance run.

Pittsburgh has now lost three straight.

GIVING A LITTLE EXTRA

Harper's homer gave him 46 extra-base hits after the All-Star Game, a team record. He surpassed Chase Utley (2005) and Ryan Howard (2006), who each had 45.

UNBROTHERLY LOVE

The Pirates have now lost nine of 10 in Philadelphia after winning three games at Citizens Bank Park in 2017.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: INF/OF Michael Chavis (right elbow strain) is close to returning. He has played two games at Triple-A Indianapolis as part of a rehab assignment and is expected to make two more before returning to the Pirates for the final week of the season. ... RHP David Bednar (right oblique discomfort) threw a bullpen session Friday. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said he's getting closer and called Bednar "day-to-day." ... RHP J.T. Brubaker (right shoulder inflammation) is continuing to progress, but it is unclear if he will be able to return before the season's end.

Phillies: RHP Archie Bradley was placed on the injured list with a strained left oblique muscle. The injury will cost him the remainder of the regular season, but Bradley is hopeful the Phillies can qualify for the postseason and he can rejoin the team in the playoffs. Bradley had been pitching in a setup role out of the bullpen. The hope was that Connor Brogdon (strained right groin) would be back Saturday, but he is now scheduled for a rehab appearance Sunday in Triple-A, so the earliest he can return is Tuesday. As a result, the Phillies selected the contract of Triple-A LHP Kyle Dohy to fill Bradley's spot. In order to select Dohy, the Phillies needed room on the 40-man roster and were able to create it by moving LHP Matt Moore (lower back strain) to the 60-day IL, ending his season. ... RHP Sam Coonrod was again unavailable Saturday with a thumb issue. ... OF Odubel Herrera, who usually leads off against right-handers, was not in the starting lineup. He was removed from Friday's game with a sore left Achilles. The Phillies hope he can play Sunday.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Max Kranick (1-3, 7.28) will start for Pittsburgh in the series finale with Philadelphia.

Phillies: Due to injuries and ineffectiveness with depth starters, Philadelphia has been throwing a bullpen game every fifth day in September. They are due for another one in their 2021 regular-season home finale Sunday against Pittsburgh. It's possible Adonis Medina (0-0, 1.59) gets his second major league start after getting the call in the Phillies' last bullpen game.