Jack Suwinski hit a go-ahead grand slam and Andrew McCutchen belted his 300th career home run to power the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates past the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-2, on Sunday.
Pittsburgh trailed 2-1 entering the sixth inning before Ke’Bryan Hayes reached on Alec Bohm’s error, Rowdy Tellez walked and McCutchen singled to load the bases with nobody out. Suwinski then put Zack Wheeler’s 0-1 curveball into the right-center-field seats for his second career grand slam, putting the Pirates up 5-2.
Joey Bart added a solo home run in the sixth for Pittsburgh off Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez, who replaced Wheeler after Suwinski’s slam. Wheeler (0-3) pitched five-plus innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits. He walked three and tied his season high with 10 strikeouts.
McCutchen clubbed his milestone homer in the top of the ninth, a two-run shot that closed the scoring. McCutchen finished with two hits and three runs in addition to stealing home.
Suwinski, Tellez and Hayes each added two hits for the Pirates, who earned a split of the four-game series.
Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (2-1) notched his 35th consecutive start of at least five innings, extending the longest active streak in the majors. The right-hander went seven innings, giving up two runs on eight hits. He struck out four without walking a batter.
Trea Turner led Philadelphia with three hits, including his first home run of the season, which put the Phillies ahead 1-0 in the third inning. Brandon Marsh went 1-for-4 with a triple.
Pittsburgh orchestrated a two-out double steal to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth. Jared Triolo took off for second base, which drew a wild throw from Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto that sailed into center field and let McCutchen trot home from third.
No. 9 hitter Johan Rojas manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth to slide the Phillies ahead 2-1. Rojas muscled a one-out, opposite-field single before swiping second base. He advanced to third on Kyle Schwarber’s flyout and scored when Turner lined an 0-2 sweeper into center field for a single.
Realmuto’s passed ball in the eighth inning scored Triolo to make it 7-2.
Orion Kerkering pitched a scoreless seventh in his season debut for Philadelphia after being activated from the 15-day injured list earlier Sunday.
–Field Level Media
