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Pirates get to Phillies bullpen in win

Apr 25, 2013 - 3:38 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Brandon Inge drove in the winning run in the eighth inning to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the third of four games from Citizens Bank Park.

Pedro Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI while Starling Marte added two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Pirates, who have won five of six.

Wandy Rodriguez tossed 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Vin Mazzaro (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 flawless innings to get the win.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard each hit solo home runs for the Phillies, who have dropped their past two after winning the opener of this series.

Roy Halladay pitched well in the start, giving up just one run and one hit with two walks and eight strikeouts over six innings. Mike Adams (1-2) was tagged with the loss for giving up two runs in the eighth without recording a single out.

"To me, it seemed like two different games, because we did so many things well early in the game," said Halladay. "Then, later in the game, we didn't do the things we did earlier."

Trailing by a run in the eighth, the Pirates went on top off of Adams. Jose Tabata led off with a walk and Marte singled. Travis Snider's base hit to right tied the game and Andrew McCutchen walked to load the bases.

Jeremy Horst then took over on the mound and Inge greeted him with a single to left for a 4-3 lead. That was it, though, as Neil Walker hit into a 3-2-3 double play and Alvarez grounded out to end the frame.

"He's been around a while," said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle about Inge. "He's very versatile and that's why we got him."

Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless eighth inning and the Pirates added a run in the ninth as Marte blooped a hit to shallow right between three players that went for a triple.

Jason Grilli stranded a runner on second, striking out Utley to pick up his ninth save of the season.

Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a single, but was nailed at second by McCutchen trying to stretch it out into a double. Utley, though, got the Phils on the board when he followed with his fourth homer of the year.

Pittsburgh had just one baserunner through the first three innings, but got on board in the fourth. With two outs, Garrett Jones walked to keep the inning alive and Walker was hit by a pitch. Alvarez then singled to center to score Jones and tie the game. Russell Martin struck out to end the frame.

Philly quickly got the lead back, as Howard launched a pitch over the right field wall with one out in the home fourth for just his second home run of the year and a 2-1 lead.

Domonic Brown made a nice diving catch on a Josh McDonald fly ball to left in the fifth to keep it a one-run game, but the Phils blew a chance to pad their lead in the bottom of the inning.

Rollins led off with a double and an Utley bunt saw runners on the corners. Michael Young then hit a grounder to third and Utley was forced out at second. Rollins broke for home when the ball was thrown to second, but was nailed at the plate for the 5-4-2 double play. Howard lined out to first to end the frame.

The Phils, though, did tack on a run in the sixth as Kevin Frandsen's pinch- hit single scored Ben Revere, who had beat out a two-out infield single and moved to third on a Humberto Quintero single, for a 3-1 lead.

In the seventh, Alvarez hit a home run off Antonio Bastardo to cut Pittsburgh's deficit to one run.

Game Notes

The Phillies left eight men on base while the Pirates stranded six ... Cliff Lee takes the mound for Philly on Thursday, while James McDonald will start for Pittsburgh ... The Phillies have scored three runs or less in 14 of their 22 games.