Richard Rodriguez hadn’t been scored on in seven weeks. However, he picked a bad time to have that streak end.
Bryce Harper’s RBI single in the seventh inning off Rodriguez broke a 1-1 tie and the Phillies went to beat the Pirates 6-1 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.
The rough start to the second half continues for the Pirates (45-51) as they have lost six of seven games since the All-Star break. The Pirates are now seven games behind the first-place Cubs in the National League Central, losing 4 ½ games in the standings in a week.