Swept in Pittsburgh: Phillies dropped fifth straight game, falling 2-1 to the Pirates

The Phillies dropped their fifth straight on Sunday, falling 2-1 to the Pirates to get swept out of Pittsburgh. That’s nine losses in the last 10 games for a team that suddenly can’t buy a win.

Paul Skenes was dominant again for the Pirates, taking a no-decision but shoving 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Skenes lowered his ERA to 1.88 and had the Phillies guessing all afternoon. He was pulled with two outs in the eighth to a chorus of boos from the Pittsburgh crowd, but reliever Braxton Ashcraft came in and got the final four outs to seal it.

Cristopher Sánchez matched Skenes pitch for pitch for most of the day. He gave the Phillies seven strong innings with nine strikeouts, allowing just two runs — one in the second on a Jared Triolo RBI double, and the other the eventual game-winner in the eighth.

Cristopher Sanchez 9 Strikeouts

Number 9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/ViAXAN7ecf

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 8, 2025

That eighth inning summed up where the Phillies are right now. Sánchez walked Oneil Cruz to start the frame, then Owen Kerkering came in and gave up a broken-bat single to Andrew McCutchen. Cruz came flying home after stumbling around third, just beating Nick Castellanos’ throw to put the Pirates up 2-1.

Offensively, the Phillies had nothing going outside of a lone unearned run. They managed just two hits all day and were completely handcuffed by Skenes. Once again, no timely hitting, no late-inning spark — just more frustration.

The only sign of life for the Phillies

Tied up! pic.twitter.com/isDSnOeAw4

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 8, 2025

Ashcraft closed it out in the ninth by getting Alec Bohm to ground into a game-ending double play.

Phillies-Pirates Game Notes:

Cruz scoring from third on McCutchen’s broken-bat single in the eighth. Phillies had a chance to escape, but just couldn’t make the play.

Skenes hasn’t allowed more than six hits in any of his 37 MLB appearances. The Phillies were no threat to change that today.

Phillies back home Monday night:

Now the Phillies limp home after getting swept in Pittsburgh. Zack Wheeler gets the ball Monday to open a three-game set against the Cubs — and they badly need their ace to stop the bleeding.

The Phillies are in a flat-out freefall. Five straight losses. Nine of 10. Bryce Harper on the IL. The offense ice cold. This thing needs a reset, fast — or the lead they built in the division is going to evaporate quick.

Join The Chase