PHILADELPHIA _ Sean Rodriguez cracked a pinch-hit, three-run home run off Philadelphia Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez in the ninth inning Tuesday. The opposite-field blast pulled the Pirates from another spiral and set them straight in a 5-3 win at Citizens Bank Park.
The Pirates (70-73) snapped a four-game skid and notched their third win in the past 15 games. Not since July 12, 2014, had they won a game in which they trailed after eight innings, ending a string of 140 consecutive defeats when fighting from behind entering the decisive ninth inning.
Manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing umpire obstruction.
Right-hander Ivan Nova did not factor in the decision but continues to up his free-agent stock.
The Pirates certainly could not have expected more from Nova when they acquired him from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline for two prospects. He turned in another splendid start Tuesday, allowing five hits and one earned run over six innings. Nova walked only one and struck out 11, his first double-digit punch-out performance since July 15, 2013. There was a stretch from the second inning to the fourth when seven consecutive outs came via strikeout.
In eight starts for the Pirates, Nova has a 2.41 ERA and 43 strikeouts to three walks.
It seemed only fitting that the Pirates' first score come with a base-running blunder. After Jordy Mercer doubled leading off the third, Adam Frazier drove him in with an RBI single but was thrown out easily trying to stretch the hit into a double. Josh Bell doubled, but the bases were empty, and the Pirates offense then went quiet until the seventh innings.
In the meantime, the Phillies scratched across a run in the fourth on Frazier's throwing error and another in the sixth on a contested fielder's choice. On the play, Ryan Howard bounced a grounder to the first baseman Bell, who fired it to second. Mercer paused a beat waiting for Frazier to reach first base, and Mercer's throw was late. Hurdle argued first-base umpire Alan Porter had obstructed Frazier's path, and after enough jawing Hurdle was asked to leave.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the seventh, but Frazier grounded out to end the rally.
Left-hander Felipe Rivero loaded the bases in the eighth on a single and two walks, and Freddy Galvis lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly to deep center. After Francisco Cervelli walked and Mercer doubled, Rodriguez washed out the Phillies' lead. For Rodriguez, his 13th home run this season set a new career-high.
Closer Tony Watson worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 12th save this season.
