Instant Replay: Pirates 6, Phillies 4

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The Phillies opened a seven-game homestand with a 6-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

Kyle Kendrick and Pittsburgh’s Jeff Locke hooked up in a pitchers’ duel for seven innings before things got a little ugly in the eighth.

The Phils are 66-77.

The Pirates (75-68) entered the game with a half-game lead for the second NL wild card spot. They have won four in a row.

The announced attendance was 23,140, but the actual turnout appeared to be much lower.

Starting pitching report
Kendrick (8-12) allowed just two runs on 111 pitches over seven innings. Manager Ryne Sandberg stuck with Kendrick for the eighth and the right-hander gave up three straight hits (one was an infield hit) and all three turned into runs as the Pirates broke open a one-run game.

In all, Kendrick was charged with five runs over seven-plus innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Pittsburgh lefty Locke (7-4) allowed just three hits and a run over seven walk-free innings. He retired the Phillies’ first 10 hitters before giving up a triple to Jimmy Rollins in the fourth.

Bullpen report
Jake Diekman had a poor outing. He gave up a pair of RBI doubles in the eighth after Kendrick left.

Mark Melancon settled things down in the ninth for the Pirates and recorded the save.

At the plate
The Phillies were out-hit, 12-5.

Ryan Howard’s two-out single scored Rollins from third to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Howard has 92 RBIs.

The Phillies scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it a two-run game. Two of the runs scored on a triple by Chase Utley.

The Pirates took a 2-1 lead on a booming two-run home run by Starling Marte against Kendrick with one out in the fifth. They built their lead to 6-1 with four runs in the eighth. Neil Walker had an RBI single and Gaby Sanchez a sacrifice fly. Jordy Mercer and Brent Morel followed with RBI doubles for the Pirates.

Health check
Rollins strained his left hamstring running out the triple and left the game after the inning. He was replaced by Freddy Galvis.

Rollins’ $11 million option for 2015 has already vested. There is a stipulation that could void the contract if Rollins ends the season on the disabled list and a mutually agreed upon doctor deems him unavailable for opening day 2015. It is highly doubtful this stipulation would come into play as even a serious hamstring strain would not impact Rollins’ status for the start of next season.

Up next
David Buchanan (6-7, 3.95) and Edinson Volquez (11-7, 3.31) are the pitchers on Tuesday night.

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