Bryce Harper’s three-run homer, Cristopher Sánchez shutout lead Phillies in 6-0 win over Pirates

Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez, left, and Bryce Harper were prolific in their team's 6-0 win in Pittsburgh. Read more PITTSBURGH — On Friday night against the Pirates, Bryce Harper missed a grand slam by mere inches. What was instead a game-tying single would have been a home run at 13 other major league ballparks, including Citizens Bank Park. Off the bat, he thought it was gone. On Saturday, though, he left no room for doubt. In his first at-bat of the game against Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler, Harper hit his longest homer since 2022, 457 feet off the batters’ eye in center field. The three-run shot, plus a double from Kyle Schwarber that cashed in two runs, provided a sizable cushion for Cristopher Sánchez in the 6-0 Phillies win. Not that the lefty needed much, as he turned in his second career shutout. » READ MORE: ‘Substitute teacher’ Dusty Wathan takes over Phillies dugout for a day The Phillies have evened their record to .500 for the first time since April 13. Sánchez retired 11 consecutive Pirates to start the game until Bryan Reynolds delivered the Pirates’ first hit in the fourth inning. He capitalized on a sinker that stayed over the middle of the plate for a double, but Sánchez responded right away by striking out Marcell Ozuna on a changeup. Ozuna entered Saturday with a .385 career average against Sánchez, but the Phillies pitcher struck him out four times, three times with a changeup and once with a slider. Sánchez finished with 13 total strikeouts to set a new career-high as he mowed through the Pirates lineup, and he used all three of his pitches to do it. He limited Pittsburgh to six hits over nine innings and did not walk a single batter. His scoreless streak has extended to 29 ⅔ innings. Justin Crawford made a diving catch in center to keep the streak alive and rob Henry Davis of extra bases in the eighth. The Phillies jumped ahead in the first with Harper’s homer. In the second inning, J.T. Realmuto and Trea Turner each drew walks, bringing up Schwarber with two on. Schwarber has homered nine times in his last nine games, but this time he showed a different dimension with a double down the right field line. Realmuto scored easily, and a throwing error from Pirates right fielder Jared Triolo allowed Turner to come home as well. Pittsburgh then opted to intentionally walk Harper to face Alec Bohm instead, and he popped out. The Phillies worked at-bats against Chandler, driving his pitch count up and ending his night after three innings. They tacked on another run in the eighth, thanks to Crawford’s speed. He drew a walk and scored from first on a double from Turner.