Falter beats former team, leads Pirates over Phillies 5-2 as Harper stops 0-for-18 slide

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper reacts after hitting a pop flyout off Pittsburgh Pirates’ Aroldis Chapman during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bailey Falter allowed one run over five innings to beat his former team, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over Philadelphia 5-2 on Friday night as Phillies star Bryce Harper broke out of an 0-for-18 slide with two hits.

David Bednar pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in five chances, and Henry Davis doubled, singled and drove in two runs. Bryan Reynolds and Connor Joe also had RBIs for the Pirates, who took advantage of some sloppy play by Philadelphia.

“Overall, we played a really clean game,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.

Harper singled in the first and doubled in the sixth as part of a 2-for-4 night, raising his average from .196 to .220.

Philadelphia ditched its red and white pinstripes to debut blue, yellow and black City Connect jerseys that were odes to Philadelphia’s flag and rich history. The jerseys have gotten mixed reviews from the Phillies’ notoriously tough fan base, and the club’s play on the field on Friday didn’t give the home crowd of 35,578 much to be thrilled about, either.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Henry Davis, left, and David Bednar, right, celebrate after winning a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The Phillies will wear the alternate jerseys in every Friday home game this season, or 11 more times.

“Hopefully, next we get a win in them,” Harper said. “I just want to win. I don’t care what we wear. Obviously, it’s really cool for some of the fans to be able to wear something different, the blue and the story behind it and things obviously is really cool, but I just want to win.”

Falter (1-0) allowed one run and four hits and three strikeouts. He had a 4.56 ERA in 24 starts and 26 relief appearances over three seasons for the Phillies before his Aug. 1 trade to Pittsburgh for infielder Rodolfo Castro.

“He did a nice job,” Shelton said. “That’s a tough lineup to navigate through.”

Cristopher Sánchez (0-2) loaded the bases in the second with a pair of walks and his own error, then forced in the go-ahead run with his third walk of the inning, to Davis with the bases loaded.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bailey Falter pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pittsburgh doubled the lead in the fourth when Michael A. Taylor scored on Joe’s two-out grounder that was ruled a hit when shortstop Trea Turner slipped and fell as he was about to backhand the ball.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Bryson Stott cut the deficit with RBI single in the fifth, but Pittsburgh made it 3-1 in the seventh when Yunior Marte’s fastball with a 2-2 count ricocheted sharply off catcher JT Realmuto’s left wrist for a wild pitch and dropped third strike.

“We scored in some strange ways,” Shelton said.

Davis hit an RBI double in the eighth against Ricardo Pinto and scored on Reynolds’ single.

Aroldis Chapman walked Alec Bohm with the bases loaded in the bottom half, then froze Brandon Marsh with a slider for a called third strike.

Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, allowed three hits in 3 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and one walk for Triple-A Indianapolis at Toledo. Skenes threw 36 of 55 pitches for strikes. He reached 100 mph with 15 pitches.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Henry Davis, right, scores past Philadelphia Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto , left,during the eight inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

UP NEXT

Pirates LHP Marco Gonzalez (0-0, 2.45) opposes Philadelphia RHP Spencer Turnbull (1-0, 0.00) on Saturday in the third game of the four-game series.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds catches a flyout hit by Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryson Stott, right, throws to first base to complete a double play against Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes (13) and Paco Figueroa (not shown) during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Edward Olivares’ bat breaks during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds follows through after hitting an RBI single off of Philadelphia Phillies’ Ricardo Pinto during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)