Pirates Top Phillies 6-4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Gaby Sanchez homered and drove in three runs, and Garrett Jones hit a go-ahead, two-run double to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-4 comeback victory over the struggling Philadelphia Phillies.
Justin Wilson (2-0) pitched two hitless innings in relief of James McDonald and the Pirates, won their third straight and 10th in of 13 games. Taking the four-game series gave Pittsburgh its first series win in Philadelphia since April 4-6, 2003 at now demolished Veterans Stadium.
Ryan Howard went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Domonic Brown had a pair of doubles with an RBI for the Phillies, who have lost three straight and eight of 11. And the frustration was apparent in the eighth inning when Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was ejected by third-base umpire Dan Iassogna for arguing that Clint Barmes should have been called out for interference.
Jones, pinch-hitting for Brandon Inge, laced a double off the wall in right with one out in the eighth against reliever Phillippe Aumont (1-3) to put the Pirates ahead 5-3. After striking out Jose Tabata to start the inning, Aumont hit Barmes with a pitch and allowed consecutive singles to Travis Snider and Marte to load the bases with one out.
Chad Durbin replaced Aumont (1-3) and gave up Sanchez's sacrifice fly that made it 6-3.
That was plenty for the stingy Pirates bullpen, which entered second in the majors with a 1.78 ERA. Watson pitched the last two innings for his first career save while closer Jason Grilli had the day off.
The Phillies scored a pair of runs in the sixth on Howard's RBI single and Brown's sacrifice fly before the Pirates tied it in the top of the seventh on two-out RBI singles from Sanchez and Michael McKenry.
Cliff Lee allowed three runs and 10 hits while striking out seven and walking one. He tried to steal second base after reaching on an infield single in the fifth, but was thrown out.
McDonald allowed three runs and five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five-plus innings.
Brown hit a blooper that fell in for an RBI double in the fourth that made it 1-0 before Sanchez tied it with a leadoff homer in the sixth.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
