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.”
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