Phillies 8, Pirates 3
WP – Joe Blanton (7-6, 4.87)
LP – Jeff Karstens (0-2, 6.35)
PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies kept hitting and the Pirates kept giving them outs.
A three-error first inning put the Pirates in an early 4-0 hole and they never recovered, losing 8-3 Monday night in Philadelphia.
The inning was even rougher on Bucs right fielder Jorge Tabata.
Tabata made two of the team’s three errors in the inning, who made a pair of throwing errors to allow two of the runs to cross the plate.
It allowed Joe Blanton to relax in his outing as he pitched seven innings of quality baseball. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight for his 7th win of the season.
Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz had great nights at the plate.
Rollins had a pair of hits, including leading off the game with a double and scoring and then hitting a two-run homer in the 4th inning that expanded the Phillies lead to 7-2.
Ruiz had himself a three-hit game, bumping his average up to .354 while scoring three times.
2B: Rollins (17). HR: Rollins (8).
TTB 