For the second straight game, the Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a 9-7 loss in Bradenton. This time at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.
J.T. Brubaker struggled in the first inning, walking Brandon Marsh to open the contest then coughing up a two-run home run to Alec Bohm, but he rebounded by striking out the final five hitters he faced.
Edmundo Sosa added a three-run homer in the third off Yohan Ramirez, and the Phillies capped it off by notching four runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Yet again, the Pirates’ offense was sluggish to start but found its rhythm in the middle-to-late innings.