Pirates sink Phillies with big sixth inning; Phillies lose three of four in Pittsburgh
Trailing 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh and having been silenced by Joe Blanton the previous five innings, the Pirates posted a six-spot off of Blanton, Jose Contreras and Mike Zagurski to flip a three-run deficit into a three-run victory Sunday afternoon, 8-5 the final at PNC Park. Pedro Alvarez led off the inning with a solo homer to right center. Two hits later, Blanton was gone, and Contrares (L, 3-3) promptly gave up a game-tying single to pinch-hitter Delwyn Young. Jose Tabata gave the Pirates the lead with an rbi single, before Garrett Jones made it a three-run cushion with a two-run single off of Zagurski, the Phillies' third pitcher of the inning. The Phils went quietly in their final two at-bats, sending them to their sixth loss on the ten game road trip. Jones finished the day with three rbi's for Pittsburgh, who took the season series four games to two. Dane Zardinha hit his third homer of the season for the Phils, a solo shot in the seventh off of Pirates starter Jeff Karstens, who allowed five runs in six plus innings. The Phillies return home tomorrow night to begin a seven-game homestand, beginning with a three-game set against the Braves.
