The Phillies acquired right-hander Kyle Gibson on Friday at the Trade Deadline hoping he’d be the help their rotation required to make a push in the National League East. On Sunday, Gibson made his first start with his new team, and it was the reset Philadelphia (52-53) needed.
As Gibson fired a season-high 113 pitches (64 strikes) through 6 2/3 innings in his Phillies debut, the offense — which scored just two runs in the series’ first two games — finally showed up to back him and fend off a series sweep with a 15-4 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.
Gibson didn’t fall short of his All-Star billing. The right-hander held the Pirates to two runs on five hits and two walks. The third of the 33-year-old’s five punchouts notched his 1,000th career strikeout on an 84.6-mph changeup to Michael Perez to start the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Phillies took their first lead of the series in the first inning on J.T. Realmuto’s single that scored Travis Jankowski from second. Jean Segura extended Philadelphia’s lead with his 17th double this season, a two-run line drive to right
Segura didn’t play in Friday’s series opener when the Phils were shut out, but his presence atop the lineup Sunday jump-started a parade of nine doubles against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller and company — the most the Phillies have recorded since May 4, 2000, when Scott Rolen batted cleanup and Bobby Abreu clubbed three of the Phils’ eight two-baggers against the Reds. Bryce Harper matched Abreu’s total on Sunday.
