Let’s distill the Phillies’ 3-2 win over the Pirates down to its essential essence. To talk about this game, you need to talk about two things: Jake Arrieta, and the top of the seventh inning.
Jake Arrieta needed this start
Boy did he ever. Since the start of June, Arrieta has a 6.16 ERA, and hadn’t pitched into the seventh inning once. His ERA went from 2.16 to 3.54. He needed this start to go well, and he delivered. He pitched seven solid innings, allowing just two runs and walking one while striking out eight.