Pirates Bullpen Blows Up Again; Offense Quiet After Canario’s Blast

PHILADELPHIA— The Pirates’ bullpen blew their ninth save of the season on Friday, May 16, falling 8-4 in Philadelphia despite a three-run home run from Alexander Canario.

Pirates’ (15-30) left-handed starter Andrew Heaney allowed just one run in five innings, but the Phillies managed to drive his pitch count up early, chasing him from the game and allowing them to feast on the Pirates’ bullpen. The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning on an RBI single from star first baseman Bryce Harper, but Canario stepped up to answer the bell.

The 25-year-old right fielder fell behind Phillies’ left-hander Ranger Suárez 1-2 with two on and two outs in the sixth inning. Suárez dotted a four-seam fastball on the outside corner of the plate, but Canario was right there to meet it, pushing it 391 feet to right-center for a go-ahead three-run homer… but the 3-1 lead didn’t last for long.

Colin Holderman and Ryan Borucki ran into trouble in the seventh as the Phillies went ahead 5-3; they continued to pour it on from there, adding three runs in the eighth. The Pirates loaded the bases in the top of the ninth. Jared Triolo walked in a run, bringing the tying run to the plate. Oneil Cruz struck out in a pinch-hit appearance, and an Andrew McCutchen groundout ended the game.

Key Moment

The Pirates’ bullpen blew up in the seventh inning, with Ryan Borucki inheriting a pair of baserunners from Colin Holderman. Borucki issued two walks and a hit batter… the first walk on a 3-2 count and a pitch that got Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly ejected for arguing that Phillies’ first baseman Bryce Harper didn’t check his swing. Tanner Rainey entered and allowed another bases loaded free pass before forcing a sacrifice fly.

Star of the Game

Notable Pirates Performances

• Alexander Canario: 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk.
• Andrew Heaney: 5 IP, 1 ER, 2 K’s.

Stat to Know

Noteworthy

• Nick Solak’s second inning single marked his first Major League hit since Sep. 7, 2023.
• Phillies’ first baseman Bryce Harper notched the 1,000th RBI of his big league career in the fifth inning.
• Canario is now batting .417 with a 1.212 OPS in his last seven games, hitting two doubles and two home runs in that span.
• The game began in a one hour and 48 minute weather delay as storms swept the region. Limited rainfall occurred at Citizens Bank Park.

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