Offense showcases 'fight' in 13th come-from-behind win
If one thing is certain following the Pirates' 11-7 victory over the Phillies on Monday night here at Citizens Bank Park, in which they erased an early five-run deficit by scoring eight unanswered runs over two innings to open a seven-game trip, it's this: There's no quit in this team.
"We've showed a lot this year, I think, at different times," Don Kelly said. "Tonight, was, I mean, being down five against this team, in Philadelphia, on the road. We talked about it before: starting a stretch here and taking it game by game. I thought we did a great job of that tonight, inning by inning. A lot of times, you get down five on the road like that. You can get down, but there's a lot of fight in this team. The way we've gone through this season, ups and downs, and I think the game in itself is a microcosm of that. I'm just really proud of the fight these guys show every night."
Following the Phillies scoring five runs in the first three innings, which came via home runs by Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, and Bryce Harper, the Pirates found themselves in a hole. However, with an offense that ranks third in Major League Baseball in runs scored (440), second in OPS (.757), and seventh in home runs (108), they have the pieces to battle from behind.
It doesn't always work that way, however, as they are 10-25 in games in which the opposing team scores first. But their 13th come-from-behind victory showcased their ability to strike at any moment.
Esmerlyn Valdez, who's now hit four home runs in the past four games, hit his sixth of the season in the fourth inning after Bryan Reynolds' leadoff double to cut Philadelphia's lead to three.
"We were just staying positive in the dugout, and everyone was giving their 100%," Valdez said through interpreter and assistant coach Stephen Morales. "The stay positive part is huge for us as a team."
The floodgates opened in the fifth inning as the Pirates' lineup started to get to Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who struck out five, walked two, and allowed eight hits and seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Jared Triolo kicked it off with his first home run of the season, a 419-foot blast to center field, and then Jake Mangum followed it up with a double. Konnor Griffin bunted him over to third before Brandon Lowe recorded his team-leading 57th RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Pirates then loaded the bases with two walks, one each from Bryan Reynolds and Valdez, and a single by Ryan O'Hearn. Endy Rodriguez followed with a six-pitch walk from reliever Seth Johnson before chaos ensued on a fielder's choice groundout by Tyler Callihan:
That gave the Pirates an 8-5 lead that they would never relinquish. The Phillies did tag Gregory Soto for two runs in the eighth inning, but Rodriguez was able to provide late insurance with a three-run home run in the ninth inning that all but sealed the deal.
"This is a great team. We have a great lineup, and to see how we fight 'til the end is amazing," Rodriguez said.
THE ASYLUM
Offense showcases 'fight' in 13th come-from-behind win
If one thing is certain following the Pirates' 11-7 victory over the Phillies on Monday night here at Citizens Bank Park, in which they erased an early five-run deficit by scoring eight unanswered runs over two innings to open a seven-game trip, it's this: There's no quit in this team.
"We've showed a lot this year, I think, at different times," Don Kelly said. "Tonight, was, I mean, being down five against this team, in Philadelphia, on the road. We talked about it before: starting a stretch here and taking it game by game. I thought we did a great job of that tonight, inning by inning. A lot of times, you get down five on the road like that. You can get down, but there's a lot of fight in this team. The way we've gone through this season, ups and downs, and I think the game in itself is a microcosm of that. I'm just really proud of the fight these guys show every night."
Following the Phillies scoring five runs in the first three innings, which came via home runs by Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, and Bryce Harper, the Pirates found themselves in a hole. However, with an offense that ranks third in Major League Baseball in runs scored (440), second in OPS (.757), and seventh in home runs (108), they have the pieces to battle from behind.
It doesn't always work that way, however, as they are 10-25 in games in which the opposing team scores first. But their 13th come-from-behind victory showcased their ability to strike at any moment.
Esmerlyn Valdez, who's now hit four home runs in the past four games, hit his sixth of the season in the fourth inning after Bryan Reynolds' leadoff double to cut Philadelphia's lead to three.
"We were just staying positive in the dugout, and everyone was giving their 100%," Valdez said through interpreter and assistant coach Stephen Morales. "The stay positive part is huge for us as a team."
The floodgates opened in the fifth inning as the Pirates' lineup started to get to Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who struck out five, walked two, and allowed eight hits and seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Jared Triolo kicked it off with his first home run of the season, a 419-foot blast to center field, and then Jake Mangum followed it up with a double. Konnor Griffin bunted him over to third before Brandon Lowe recorded his team-leading 57th RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Pirates then loaded the bases with two walks, one each from Bryan Reynolds and Valdez, and a single by Ryan O'Hearn. Endy Rodriguez followed with a six-pitch walk from reliever Seth Johnson before chaos ensued on a fielder's choice groundout by Tyler Callihan:
That gave the Pirates an 8-5 lead that they would never relinquish. The Phillies did tag Gregory Soto for two runs in the eighth inning, but Rodriguez was able to provide late insurance with a three-run home run in the ninth inning that all but sealed the deal.
"This is a great team. We have a great lineup, and to see how we fight 'til the end is amazing," Rodriguez said.
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