Cristopher Sanchez worked seven strong innings while guiding the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-0 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Sanchez (10-3) allowed just three hits and two walks, striking out nine, as he became the first starting pitcher to reach 10 wins this season. He has pitched 16 scoreless innings in two dominant starts against the Pirates this year.
Justin Crawford had three hits and three RBIs for Philadelphia, while Trea Turner added a homer, a double and three RBIs on his 33rd birthday.
Esmerlyn Valdez’s four-game homer streak came to an end, although the Pittsburgh rookie still went 2-for-3 with a walk. Bubba Chandler (3-8) yielded five runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Sanchez fanned five of the first six batters he faced, setting the stage for his teammates to score two runs in the bottom of the second.
Alec Bohm singled with one out. After a groundout, Chandler hit J.T. Realmuto with a pitch and allowed a single to Gabriel Rincones Jr. to load the bases. Crawford then fouled off five pitches before sending a two-run single into left field.
Sanchez allowed a leadoff walk in both the third and fourth innings but limited the damage each time. In the fifth, the lefty gave up a one-out double to Billy Cook before retiring the next two batters.
In the sixth, Sanchez allowed just a leadoff single to Valdez. Sanchez then worked a 1-2-3 seventh before ending his night after 92 pitches.
Philadelphia plated three insurance runs in the seventh against Chandler and reliever Isaac Mattson.
Rincones drew a leadoff walk before Turner’s RBI double made it 3-0. Kyle Schwarber followed with a hit to put runners on the corners.
Pittsburgh then summoned Mattson, who gave up an RBI single to Bryce Harper as the hosts went ahead 4-0. A fielder’s-choice grounder from Brandon Marsh plated another run.
Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan allowed a walk and a single in the eighth but struck out the other three batters he faced.
Turner’s opposite-field, two-run homer highlighted a three-run eighth for Philadelphia against Brandan Bidois.
Lou Trivino worked around a single in the ninth to seal the Phillies’ 10th shutout win of the season. Philadelphia earned its eighth win in the past 11 games, while Pittsburgh had a two-game winning streak snapped.
The teams have split the first two contests of a four-game series.
–Field Level Media
