PHILADELPHIA _ Andrew Knapp tossed his helmet in the air Sunday afternoon and ran toward first base. He scored the winning run in a 3-2 win against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park, but he was late to the celebration. Aaron Altherr, who singled in Knapp, was already being mobbed in the outfield grass. This is what a sweep looks like.
The win completed a four-game sweep, put the Phillies seven games above .500, and within a half game of first place. Knapp hit a one-out triple in the 11th, sending a fly ball off the metal fence above the padding on the right-field wall. Altherr then roped a single through a drawn-in infield to win it.
Tommy Hunter, who was activated Sunday morning from the disabled list, needed just eight pitches to retire the three batters he faced in the eighth inning. Victor Arano finally allowed a batter to reach base _ his first since last September _ but retired the next three to end the top of the ninth tied at two. Arano stranded a runner on third in the 10th and Yacksel Rios left a runner on the third in the 11th. The bullpen kept the Phillies alive.
Nick Pivetta struck out seven batters, walked two, and allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Both runs scored in the fifth on a two-run homer by Elias Diaz. The right-hander was able to mix in his slider and curveball, using both breaking pitches to generate swinging strikes. He tallied 13 whiffs as he pounded the strike zone.
Pivetta doubled in the fifth inning, scoring Knapp from first for the team's first hit and run. It was the pitcher's first major-league double and RBI. Pivetta then moved to third on a wild pitch as J.P. Crawford worked a walk. Cesar Hernandez followed with a one-out shallow fly out to right. Third-base coach Dusty Wathan took a chance and sent Pivetta home. The pitcher sprinted to the plate, tucked his hands to his head, and slid past the tag.
