Nick Castellanos
Nick Gonzales delivered a dramatic walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning, capping the Pittsburgh Pirates' comeback from a three-run deficit to secure an 8-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night at PNC Park. 
 
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Pirates.
 
With the Pirates trailing 7-6, Connor Joe sparked the rally with a leadoff single off José Alvarado (1-4), who has struggled since late-June. He then walked Andrew McCutchen, putting runners on first and second. Michael A. Taylor, running for Joe, and McCutchen then executed a double steal, putting the tying run just 90 feet away. 
 
Oneil Cruz brought in the tying run with a one-out fielder’s choice.
 
Gonzales then seized the moment, sending a first-pitch cutter through the left side of the infield to win it for the Pirates.
 
Alvarado has surrendered seven runs over his last 6 1/3 innings. He's also carrying a 2.21 WHIP in that time span. 
 
Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3) held the Phillies scoreless in the ninth despite allowing two singles, retiring three in a row to close out the game.
 
Weston Wilson, recording a career-high three hits, gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead in the third inning with his first home run of the season and second of his career. He had earlier capped a three-run first inning with a single that followed Nick Castellanos' two-run double.
 
Aaron Nola’s night was a rollercoaster. He was tagged for four runs on six hits, striking out four in five innings.
 
Trea Turner reclaimed the lead for the Phillies with a two-run homer in the fourth, and Edmundo Sosa scored on Kyle Schwarber’s sacrifice fly in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-4. However, the Phillies’ bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
 
Pirates starter Roansy Contreras lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and two walks.
 
Cruz’s infield RBI single and Rowdy Tellez’s third sacrifice fly of the night narrowed the gap to 7-6 in the seventh.
 
Orion Kerkering had a rough outing in the seventh, giving up three hits, including an RBI single. He struck out Gonzales and induced a sacrifice fly double play, but not before the Pirates cut the Phillies' lead to 7-6.
 
McCutchen finished 2-for-3 on the night with two walks and three runs scored. 
 
The two clubs resume their three-game set on Saturday with Cristopher Sanchez facing Luis L. Ortiz.  
 
WPA Standouts
Win Probability Added (WPA) captures the change in Win Expectancy from one plate appearance to the next and credits or debits the player based on how much their action increased their team’s odds of winning.

The Good -- Nick Castellanos (.150 WPA) finished 2-for-4 and drove in the first two runs of the contest with a double in the opening frame.

The Bad -- Jose Alvarado (-.790 WPA) had a brutal ninth inning and it appears the bullpen will need to be addressed at the trade deadline.

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