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Phils sweep Bucs
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Brandon Wood, top, leaps to avoid Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins after forcing him out at second base on a fielder’s choice by Shane Victorino in the fi rst inning of a baseball game Sunday in Philadelphia. Victorino was safe at fi rst. The Phillies won 6-5 in 10 innings.
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA
On a trade-deadline weekend when Pittsburgh traditionally looks to deal players, the acquisitions of Ryan Ludwick and Derrek Lee show the Pirates are serious about making a run at the NL Central title.
Now that the Pirates are out of Philadelphia, maybe they can add some wins to go with those new bats.
Ludwick and Lee join a feel-good Pirates team that is starting to slide down the Central standings. Raul Ibanez’s two homers helped the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pirates 6-5 in 10 innings on Sunday and finish a three-game sweep.
“We played harder, smarter and we scrapped,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We just couldn’t put it away.”
The Phillies trailed 5-3 in the eighth when Ibanez hit a two-run shot for his second homer of the game. He doubled to right off Tony Watson (0-2) in the 10th to score Hunter Pence and help the Phillies complete a three-game sweep.
“We stay together and pull together when we need to,” Ibanez said.
Antonio Bastardo (4-0) struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the win.
Ibanez hit a solo homer in the second off Pirates starter Jeff Karstens and his tying blast was off Jose Veras.
The Phillies are a season-high 29 games over .500 (68-39) and swept their fifth series of the season.
Pence, acquired Friday from Houston, hit a one-out double in the 10th and Ibanez followed with his 21st double of the season. The Phillies increased their lead to six games over Atlanta in the NL East and are starting to pull away.
“It’s electric,” Pence said. “Everyone has a different charisma about them where you expect it to happen.”
The Pirates, trying to keep pace in a crowded division race, left Philadelphia reeling but with two new bats. A day after they traded for Lee, the Pirates acquired outfielder Ludwick from the San Diego Padres.
The Pirates hope Lee and Ludwick can get them back on track. Ludwick led the Padres in homers and RBIs and leaves a team that was 16 games under .500 entering Sunday.
Hurdle was glad to add another bat with some pop to the lineup.
“He plays hard and will be a big help for our ballclub,” he said.
Lyle Overbay hit a two-run homer and Karstens pitched seven solid innings for the Pirates.
On the brink of losing his starting first baseman’s job, Overbay connected on a two-run shot off Phillies starter Vance Worley in the sixth for a 4-3 lead. Overbay, a disappointment in his first season with the Pirates, will hit the bench once Lee joins the team. Lee, acquired from Baltimore on Saturday, should take over at first when the Pirates return home.
The Pirates then got Ludwick from the Padres for a player to be named or cash.