PITTSBURGH (AP) — Alec Bohm fell a triple shy of the cycle, tying a career-high with four hits in an 8-2 win for the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday that completed a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bohm hit his seventh homer of the season in the sixth, a solo shot that gave him four hits on just five pitches and extended Philadelphia’s lead to seven runs. It was his second game with four hits in the majors, the first since going 4 for 5 against the Washington Nationals on June 23 last year.
“If they are throwing it over the plate, I’m swinging,” Bohm said. “And right now, I’m not missing it.”
The 25-year-old, drafted third overall in 2018, doubled in the first and singled in the third and fifth. Bohm grounded into an inning-ending double play in the eighth.
“Just kind of growing, getting comfortable. All those things,” Bohm said. “Experience and all those things. I think I have found some things and continue to find some things that work for me and help me bounce back from a bad game or a bad week, or a bad month, and not let it affect the rest of the season.”
Nick Castellanos also had four hits, with his fourth single coming in the ninth.
Aaron Nola (7-8) allowed one run and six hits with eight strikeouts in six innings.
Philadelphia had a season-high 18 hits to win its fifth straight and hand Pittsburgh a seventh straight loss. The Phillies have won six of seven since being swept by the Chicago Cubs in three games from July 22-24.
“I think they were just getting good pitches to hit and landing good swings,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “They were using the whole field and playing with a lot of confidence.”
Four straight singles off JT Brubaker (2-9) highlighted a five-run fifth. Bohm and J.T. Realmuto got the first two, and Castellanos and Bryson Stott had another pair, driving in one run each. Dillon Peters replaced Brubaker, allowing RBI singles to Matt Vierling and Odúbel Herrera for a 7-1 Phillies lead.
“I don’t think he had very good command today,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Brubaker. “Everything was in the middle of the zone. When you leave the ball in the middle of the zone against that lineup, you’re going to get hit hard. … Just way too much plate today.”
Kyle Schwarber led off the inning with his National League-leading 33rd homer, sent 441 feet into the left field bleachers.
Brubaker, who allowed seven runs and 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings, opened with two straight strikeouts but gave up four consecutive hits and fell behind by two runs in the first. Bohm and Realmuto had back-to-back doubles, and Castellanos and Stott followed with two singles.
Bohm, Realmuto, Castellanos and Stott were a combined 10 for 12 against Brubaker.
“They were swinging early,” Brubaker said. “I was throwing the ball in the zone early and they were swinging early. They were making contact with it. … They were swinging early and often. Just being a guy that’s wanting to throw strikes, their plan combated my plan.”
Cal Mitchell doubled in the third for the Pirates’ first run. Pittsburgh got a run in the ninth off of Jeurys Familia, who pitched for the first time since giving up five runs and getting one out in the ninth inning of Philadelphia’s 8-7 win over the Pirates on Thursday.
