By William Armstead –
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday by a score of one run to zero at Citizens Bank Park. The sole run scored of the day came from Phillies left-fielder Brandon Marsh in the fifth inning, as he crossed home plate thanks to a double by Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The game was a pitching battle as neither team was able to get the bats rolling. On the mound for the Phillies was Mick Abel, who tied a Phillies franchise record of nine strikeouts in six innings pitched in his MLB debut. He became the first Phillies pitcher to earn the win in his major league debut since Cole Irvin on May 12, 2019, at the Kansas City Royals. For the Pirates, Paul Skenes also recorded nine strikeouts in eight innings pitched, along with 22 whiffs.
The Phillies have now swept the Pirates in that three-game set, and will now travel to Colorado on May 19th to take on the Rockies in a new four-game series, the team with the fewest wins in the MLB so far this season. After Sunday’s loss, the Pirates have now lost six of their last seven series. They will stay at home to take on the Cincinnati Reds in a new three-game series.
Sports Insider Daily 