Valdez helps Pirates beat Phillies 6-1 to split their four-game series
Pittsburgh Pirates' Endy Rodríguez reacts after hitting a home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Lou Trivino during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
PHILADELPHIA — Esmerlyn Valdez tripled, singled and knocked in two runs, Endy Rodriguez and Nick Gonzales homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 on Thursday.
The Pirates split their four-game series in Philadelphia, closing with a win against a Phillies team that had won 11 of its previous 15 games at Citizens Bank Park.
Jake Mangum had three hits and a run scored, while Brandon Lowe had a pair of hits, scored a run and reached safely three times for Pittsburgh. The Pirates had 14 hits and limited the Phillies to four.
Phillies starting pitcher Alan Rangel, promoted recently from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, held his own against the Pirates but didn't last long.
Rangel threw 90 pitches in four innings, allowing no runs on only three hits, but with four walks and four strikeouts. He left with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Bryce Harper’s two-out, RBI double to left field in the third.
That left runners on second and third, but Pirates starter Jared Jones escaped further damage by getting Brandon Marsh on a fly to right. Jones also lasted four innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts.
The Pirates tied it in the fifth against Tim Mayza, who gave up a double to leadoff hitter Mangum and a single to Brandon Lowe. Valdez then singled home Mangum with a tying run.
Pittsburgh Pirates' players celebrate after they won a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
Pittsburgh took the lead off Jose Alvarado (3-3) in the seventh inning as Valdez tripled home Lowe, and Gonzales, who had three hits and two RBIs, knocked in Valdez. Gonzales homered in the ninth.
Carmen Mlodzinski (5-3) allowed two hits over three scoreless innings for the Pirates.
Up next
Pirates: Start a three-game series in Washington on Friday night, running RHP Mitch Keller (6-5, 4.87 ERA) out against Nationals LHP Foster Griffin (8-2, 2.93 ERA).
Phillies: After a Friday off day, they play Saturday night in Kansas City, with LHP Jesus Luzardo (6-4, 3.88 ERA) going against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (5-5, 3.31 ERA).
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