Pirates Bullpen Blows Lead in Loss to Phillies
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PHILADELPHIA — The Pittsburgh Pirates held a slight lead in the later innings, but their bullpen falled to hold onto, as they lost 8-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The Pirates fall to 1-3 on this road trip, as they lost two out of three games to the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The game initially started in a rain delay, which pushed back the start from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., an hour and 45 minute wait for the sold out crowd.
Pittsburgh also drops to 15-30 overall and 6-17 on the road, with eight losses in their past nine games away from home. Philadelphia improves to 26-18 and 15-8 at home.
The Pirates got their first real scoring opportunity in the top of the second inning, as right fielder Alexander Canario and first baseman Nick Solak, in his Pirates debut, hit back-to-back singles with one out.
Pittsburgh didn't get anything out of it, as left fielder Tommy Pham and center fielder Matt Gorski both hit flyouts to end
The Phillies almost took the lead in the bottom of the third inning, if not for some defensive heroics. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber smashed a sinker from Pirates left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney, out to deep center field, but Pirates center fielder Matt Gorski leaped up, made the catch and kept it scoreless.
Matt GOATski pic.twitter.com/7CKyTSwrnO
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 17, 2025
Heaney struggled to start the bottom of the fifth inning. He allowed a double to Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa, threw a wild pitch that allowed Sosa to move up to third base and then walked left fielder Weston Wilson with noouts.
He would get Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas to ground a ball right to him, holding Sosa at third, getting Wilson out at second, but Rojas got into first base to avoid the double play.
Shortstop Trea Turner then hit a ground ball right to Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes that Sosa went on, resulting in a run down.
The Phillies would take the lead, as first baseman Bryce Harper hit a ball in between Pham and Pirates shorstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa for a single, scoring Rojas, who had stolen second base prior and scored aftewards.
Heaney eventually got out the inning without allowing any runs and ended his day, allowing four hits, three walks and one earned run, with two strikeouts over 94 pitches.
Designated hitter Andrew McCutchen and catcher Joey Bart both hit back-to-back singles with on out in the top of the sixth inning, giving Pittsburgh a chance to tie or take the lead.
Hayes would groundout, but Canario took a fastball from Phillies left-handed starting pitcher Ranger Suárez on the top, outside corner and hit it into the right field seats for an opposite three-run home, putting the Pirates up 3-1.
Right-handed pitcher Colin Holderman pitched a scoreless sixth inning and then got the first out of the bottom of the seventh inning.
Holderman would walk Rojas, but got a fly ball from Turner that should've ended as an out, but Pham dropped it in left field, allowing Turner to get to first base for a single.
Pirates manager Don Kelly brought in left-handed pitcher Ryan Borucki, who faced Harper, a left-handed batter, to start out.
Borucki started with a 0-2 count, but Harper worked it back to a 3-2 count. Borucki then appeared to get Harper with a third strike, as he checked his swing, but across the plate. Third plate umpire John Libka said Harper didn't go around and loaded the bases.
Kelly disagreed with Libka, who threw him out, resulting in Kelly going up to Libka and letting his frustrations known.
Don Kelly has been ejected after the 3rd base ump missed a check-swing call in a 3-2 count pic.twitter.com/vOMnKkFKcG
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) May 17, 2025
Borucki continued his struggles, walking Schwarber and hitting Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos with a pitch, both with the bases loaded, as the Phillies tied the game up at 3-3.
Pirates right-handed pitcher Tanner Rainey relieved Borucki. He walked catcher J.T. Realmuto, giving the Phillies a 4-3 lead, and then allowed a sacrifice fly from third baseman Alec Bohm, scoring Turner, as the Phillies extended their advantage to 5-3.
Left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz took over for the Pirates for the bottom of the eighth inning and then struckout pinch hitter Max Kepler to start out.
Wentz then walked and allowed a triple to Turner and a single to Harper, making it a 7-3 lead for the Phillies. He allowed one more run to make it an 8-3 deficit and eventually got out of the inning, but the Phillies made sure they built a safe enough lead.
The Phillies brought on right-handed pitcher Daniel Robert to end the ninth inning. Robert walked Canario and then allowed a single to pinch-hitter Adam Frazier, but struckout Pham for the first out.
Robert then allowed back-to-back walks to Gorski and second baseman Jared Triolo, bringing home Canario to cut the lead to 8-4.
The Phillies brought closer in left-hander José Alvarado and he would strike out Pirates pinch hitter Oneil Cruz, who made his first appearance in almost a week due to back discomfort, and then got McCutchen to ground out, ending the game.
The Pirates will look to avoid another series road loss, as they take on the Phillies in the second game of the series on May 17. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.