Aaron Harang pitched eight scoreless innings and made his early 2-0 lead stand up as the Philadelphia Phillies (13-23) defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates (17-18) 4-2 Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
Harang (W: 4-3, 2.03 ERA) allowed only five hits while walking one and striking out six. He also hit one batter. Two of those base hits (a single and a double) came in the first inning, but he got out of the second-and-third two-out jam when Pedro Alvarez lined out to first baseman Ryan Howard. From that point on, the Pirates never got more than one hit in an inning.
Harang got that 2-0 lead in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk to Cesar Hernandez, which brought home Ben Revere. Grady Sizemore followed with a single to center that drove home Freddy Galvis. Both runs were unearned. Revere reached on an error to open the inning, and Galvis singled.
The Phillies extended their lead to 4-0 with single runs in the third and fifth. In the third, Sizemore reached on a two-out error by Jordy Mercer, which allowed Galvis, who had singled, to score. In the fifth, Howard took Radhames Liz high over the right-field wall for a solo home run (7).
Howard was 3 for 4 on the afternoon. Galvis also had three hits and scored twice.
The Pirates scored twice in the ninth off Ken Giles after Harang left following his brilliant eight-inning performance. Starlin Marte doubled home Josh Harrison, and after a pitching change for Jonathan Papelbon, Alvarez drove in Marte with a ground ball. Papelbon (S: 8) then hit a batter before getting pinch hitter Andrew McCucthen to pop out to end the game.
Vance Worley (L: 2-3, 4.38) allowed three runs -- one earned -- on eight hits in four innings. He walked one and did not strike out anyone.
On Friday, the Pirates continue their road trip with a weekend series at the Chicago Cubs while the Phillies stay home and host the Arizona Diamondbacks.