The lead
June 29, 2026 - Philadelphia - Esmerlyn Valdez, Jared Triolo, and Endy Rodriguez homered in a six-run fifth inning against Aaron Nola, Braxton Ashcraft worked six innings for the win, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-7 at Citizens Bank Park, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.
How the game turned
Pittsburgh broke the game open with a six-run fifth keyed by three homers off Nola. Philadelphia pushed across seven runs but could not keep pace with the Pirates' burst on the road.
Pitching and matchup notes
Ashcraft's six-inning win gave the bullpen enough cushion after the fifth-inning explosion. Nola struggled once the Pirates stacked homers in the middle of the order.
Bats that changed the board
Valdez posted 11 hitting FP on the AthX Engine board. AthX Engine graded Pittsburgh at 18 team FP, the daily team lead on the Monday card.
AthX Engine fantasy angle
AthX Engine rewards crooked-number innings when multiple bats go deep against an ace. Valdez' 11 FP and the Pirates' 18 team FP register on separate daily leaderboards from dynamic pricing.
What comes next
The Pirates and Phillies played the series finale Tuesday in Philadelphia.
*Sources: MLB.com schedule, CBS Sports/AP recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*
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