Aaron Harang threw eight shutout innings, Ryan Howard homered and Freddy Galvis collected another three-hit game as the Phillies split a four-game series with the Pirates by winning, 4-2, on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
Harang needed 27 pitches to get out of the first inning, but settled in to throw 94 pitches over his final seven innings, scattering five hits. At 4-3 with a 2.03 ERA, Harang has pitched at least six innings in each of his eight starts.
The Phillies spotted Harang two runs in the first, another in the third and one more in the fifth.
Starting pitching report
With the eight shutout innings, Harang has the lowest home ERA in the league at 0.61. He’s allowed two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings at Citizens Bank Park with 22 strikeouts and four walks.
Former Phillie Vance Worley was in trouble early and often for the Pirates. He lasted just four innings and was hit for three runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk with no strikeouts.
Bullpen report
A day after Jonathan Papelbon set the all-time franchise record for career saves, he added another one to his total. Papelbon recorded the final two outs after Ken Giles faced three hitters in the ninth. Giles allowed two runs on two hits.
MLB
Papelbon faced three hitters for his eighth save in as many chances this season.
At the plate
Howard’s homer was his seventh of the season. Since April 21, Howard is batting .264 (19 for 72) with two doubles, one triple, seven homers and 14 RBIs in his last 21 games. He went 3 for 4 for his second three-hit game of the season.
Galvis picked up his seventh three-hit game of the season and is batting .353 this season — third-best in baseball. Dee Gordon of the Marlins leads baseball with 10 three-hit games this season.
After getting a hit in four straight games, Chase Utley is riding an 0-for-10 skid.
In the field
Two errors cost the Pirates a pair of runs, while an error by Galvis was offset by a 3-6-3 double play deftly started by Howard.
Up next
The Phillies kick off a three-game series at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. The pitching matchups for the series:
Friday: Chad Billingsley (0-2, 9.00) vs. Chase Anderson (0-1, 2.97)
Saturday: Jerome Williams (2-3, 5.21) vs. Archie Bradley (2-0, 1.80)
Sunday: Sean O’Sullivan (0-2, 5.06) vs. Josh Collmenter (3-4, 5.27)