Thursday, October 1, 2026
79 ° Clear
79 ° Clear
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on a steamy summer evening at Citizens Bank Park in South Philly.
The Phillies’ offense tagged the Pirates’ ace for a career-high seven earned runs en route to a 10-6 win over their in-state rivals on Wednesday evening.
Philadelphia struck for five runs in the second inning behind a throwing error from Nick Gonzales that allowed two runners to score. The Pirates infielder’s throw hit Alec Bohm on the hand, causing the red and white baseball to skip away from catcher Henry Davis for a 2-0 home lead.
Trea Turner stepped into the batter’s box next and blasted a baseball deep into the warm air for a 3-run homer and a 5-0 Phillies lead in the ballgame.
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Despite facing a multi-run deficit, Pittsburgh did not go away. The Pirates responded with a solo home run from Davis before an RBI single from Brian Reynolds trimmed the home advantage to three runs at 5-2 after the top of the third frame.
Brandon Marsh’s solo homer swung the game’s momentum back to the home side to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Bryce Harper added to the lead with a 2-RBI double to put the Phillies ahead even further at 8-2. Skenes' day was finished after four innings. He allowed six hits, a career-high seven earned runs, and struck out five Phillies batters.
The Pirates chased Phillies starter Zack Wheeler from the game in the fifth inning following three consecutive singles that plated another run for Pittsburgh. The Phillies' 36-year-old pitcher finished his night after 4 ⅔ innings, allowing nine hits, four earned runs and striking out 10 batters.
It is his first contest with double-digit strikeout totals and his 32nd career appearance with 10+ punchouts in a game.
Reliever Kyle Backhus entered the game but probably wishes he could forget how it started. The Phillies’ reliever hit the first two batters he faced (on three pitches) to force in a free run with the bases loaded full of black and yellow jerseys to trim the home lead to 8-4.
Philadelphia’s bullpen struggled in the seventh inning. Seth Johnson allowed a two-run double to Callihan to trim the home squad’s lead to 8-6. Mattingly turned to Orion Kerkering to wiggle out of the jam. The 25-year-old generated a fly-out to center field before a diving catch from Bohm saved a run and ended the Pirates’ threat.
The Phillies third baseman smashed a 2-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the Phillies' lead to 10-6. Meanwhile, Jhoan Duran entered the contest in a non-save situation and locked down another home victory. The Phillies secure their 49th win of the 2026 season, while the Pirates drop below a .500 record on the season at 43-44.
The clubs wrap up the four-game set tomorrow night at the ballpark in South Philly. Alan Rangel (PHI) and Jared Jones (PIT) are scheduled to battle it out, with the first pitch scheduled at 12:35 pm.
Keep an eye on the official Phillies and/or MLB social media account(s) for potential updates on the start time due to brutally hot weather in the Pennsylvania area.
With a “real feel” that could reach triple digits tomorrow, the league could decide to move the game to a nighttime matchup for player safety.
