Pirates split series with Phillies behind 3-RBI effort from Esmerlyn Valdez

Matt Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jul 2, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PHILADELPHIA — Temperatures steadily crept over 100 degrees, and Esmerlyn Valdez’s bat stayed hot.

Valdez went 2 for 4 with three RBIs to lead the Pirates past the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-1, on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The Pirates collected 14 hits and split the four-game set with the win.

Jared Jones (1-1, 5.28 ERA) struck out six while giving up just two hits and one run. Making his first career MLB start for the Phillies, Alan Rangel (0-1, 3.38) issued four walks but kept the Pirates scoreless through four innings.

Jared Triolo led off the third with a walk, and Jake Mangum followed with a bunt single before Bryan Reynolds loaded the bases with a single of his own. Still, the Pirates came up empty as Valdez grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Valdez more than redeemed himself later on, tying the game with a fifth-inning RBI single and then hitting his first career triple in the seventh to give the Pirates the lead. He drove in another run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly.

In his last 10 games, Valdez is batting .485 with four home runs, four doubles and 10 RBIs.

Nick Gonzales added a solo home run and an RBI single, and Endy Rodriguez homered for his fifth of the season.

The Phillies opened the scoring in the bottom of the third, when, with two outs and runners on first and second, Bryce Harper ripped an opposite-field RBI double.

Jones didn’t give the Pirates great length — exiting after throwing 73 pitches through four innings amid the sweltering heat — but Carmen Mlodzinski covered three innings and earned the win. Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery combined to round out five shutout frames from the bullpen.

It was over when ...

... Gonzales homered to put the Pirates up 6-1 in the top of the ninth.

On the mound

Jones struck out the side in the first inning and was mostly in control, save for a third-inning sequence that featured a pair of walks and Harper’s RBI double.

Jones’ six strikeouts were tied for the most he’s tallied in a game this year.

Mlodzinski hasn’t given up a run in his last five relief appearances, and his 3.33 ERA is second in the Pirates’ bullpen behind Evan Sisk (2.23). Soto allowed five runs across his last 1 1/3 innings, but he worked a 1-2-3 eighth with a strikeout against the top of the Phillies’ order.

At the plate

The Pirates didn’t score against Rangel, but they did force him to throw 90 pitches through four innings. They proceeded to knock around five Phillies relievers to the tune of 11 hits and two home runs.

Eight different Pirates notched a hit, and Mangum and Gonzales led with three apiece. Valdez and Brandon Lowe also had multi-hit efforts.

Bucs bites

— In his last 10 games, Mangum has batted 15 for 41 (.366) with three doubles and two stolen bases.

— First-pitch temperature was 98 degrees (and nearing a feels-like of 110) — that was the hottest in a game at Citizens Bank Park since July 23, 2011.

Up next

The Pirates head to the nation’s capital for three games against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mitch Keller (6-5, 4.87) will open the series on the mound for the Pirates at 6:45 p.m. Friday, and Foster Griffin (8-2, 2.93) will get the ball for the Nationals.