This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Pittsburgh Pirates will aim to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games on Saturday evening when they continue their three-game series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.
The Pirates, who won five in a row to start the season, entered the All-Star break with four consecutive victories. They continued their winning ways on Friday after overcoming a pair of three-run deficits in an 8-7 victory over the Phillies.
Nick Gonzales’ walk-off RBI single capped the scoring in the series opener for Pittsburgh, which moved above .500 for the season for the first time since April.
“I think the sky’s the limit for us,” Gonzales told SportsNet Pittsburgh. “We’ve got the arms; we’ve got the offense. Once everything starts clicking, we’ll be a special team.”
The Phillies believe they have a special team, but Jose Alvarado’s struggles are clear to see. He allowed four of the five batters he faced to reach base en route to taking the loss on Friday.
All told, Alvarado has yielded seven runs and 13 baserunners in his last 4 1/3 innings.
“Things are not going the way I want to, but I feel good (physically),” Alvarado said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Baseball is just like that. It’s hard when you come into bigger moments and you lose the game, but that’s the game.
“What I think is it’s not about how we start, it’s how we finish it. I’ve always had in my mind that it’s how we finish. I’m just going through a rough time right now, but I’ll keep working and giving the best of myself, and we’ll see at the end of the year how it worked out for me.”
The Pirates’ Nos. 1-3 hitters in the lineup — Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz — combined to go 8-for-13 with seven runs and three RBIs. Rowdy Tellez added three sacrifice flies and Gonzales also drove in another run.
Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (7-4, 2.96 ERA) will be tasked with slowing Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Sanchez retired both batters he faced in his brief stint in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Sanchez, 27, is 0-1 with an 0.69 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) vs. Pittsburgh. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings in a 5-2 setback to the Pirates on April 12.
Pittsburgh will counter on Saturday with right-hander Luis Ortiz (4-2, 2.84 ERA), who will make just his fourth start of the season.
Ortiz, 25, has permitted three runs on 15 hits over his last four appearances (19 2/3 innings).
He is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two career appearances (one start) vs. Philadelphia. He tossed one scoreless inning of relief against the Phillies on April 12.
Ortiz would be wise to tread lightly around Trea Turner, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning on Friday. Turner has launched nine of his 12 homers this season in July.
Whether Phillies star catcher J.T. Realmuto returns this weekend is up in the air, however.
“Not sure yet, but he’s very, very close,” manager Rob Thomson said of Realmuto, who has been sidelined since mid-June following right meniscus surgery.
The Phillies likely would option Rafael Marchan to Triple-A Lehigh Valley; however, fellow catcher Garrett Stubbs was hit by a pitch in the hand early in Friday’s game.
Stubbs, who was in obvious pain, was able to finish the contest.
–Field Level Media
