Pirates vs. Phillies Game Highlights (5/18/25) | MLB Highlights

Well, the Phillies are looking for a sweep against the Pirates today and a top prospect is making his Major League debut But those stories are taking a backseat to the big story The Phillies losing a major piece of their bullpen as Major League Baseball and the Phillies announced that Jose Alvarado has been suspended for 80 games for taking an illegal substance that suspension starts today And in addition to the 80 games Jose Alvarado no longer eligible for postseason play this year And the big right-hander who scuffled last year with his command was one of the top prospects in the Phillies organization He worked on a lot of things this past offseason to make himself a better pitcher Mick Abel is ready to start his big league career swing and a miss He got him with a curveball his first big league strikeout and yes, his family is here and they are loving it He has about 50 people that have come to watch him pitch what a thrill for dad what a way to start It's sharply through the hole on the left side of base it for McCutchen covering all the boxes early I think strikeout in a single breaking ball and a called strike three a curveball and a thing of beauty Abel came into this season as one of the top ten prospects in the Phillies organization Off the hands looped out towards center and that's gonna drop in for a base hit So second hit for the Pirates and Horowitz its first hit of the year and a 1-2 on the way Swing at a ground ball right at the shortstop Turner has it underhand flip to start And it's a scoreless first and Nick Abel with his bare hand claps the back of his glove hand and he's got a zero ERA through one inning couple of K's as well. Gotta love it. We're going to the bottom of the first Skeens has never faced the fight in Phillies and none of these guys have ever seen him the 2-2 pitch to start Reaches out and it's a fly ball to right center field over is Cruz and Cruz will Casually make the catch basket grab and a ground ball to third Roller and Hayes throws on the first for the second out. What a cool matchup This is you know Skeens against Harper. They were teammates last year in the all-star game his first overall pick Throwing to a first overall pick in Henry Davis Facing a first overall pick in Bryce Harper. He just blew that right by him Good night and good luck. Take that says Paul Skeens One two three top of the second inning and Nick Abel goes back to work and he'll face Canario to lead things off and a strike three called on the outside corner That's the first slider that he's gotten first strikeout and it's three overall for Nick Abel Swing and a miss for strikeouts All smiles from the Abel family here in attendance today. Oh two on the way swing and a miss He struck him out. He strikes out the side one, two, three Pirates go down in order and what a start for Nick Abel He has struck out five of the eight hitters he has faced so far Kyle Schwarzer leads off of the Phillies bottom of the second against Paul Skeens Skeens and and even this this youngster were facing Abel They have the kind of arms that they could still live in that strike zone occasionally His swings and misses leave in a mess He has struck out his third and he is perfect through two On to the third inning in Philly Pirates and Philly scoreless five strikeouts so far for Abel Rob Thompson told him the other day He facetimed him when he knew he was coming to the big leagues and said you're up here for one start right now And that's it. So just go out and enjoy yourself Swing and a miss six strikeouts How about this first Phillies pitcher with at least five strikeouts or more in his first two innings of his major league debut? Alec Bowe will lead off of the Phillies home half of the third scoreless game Paul Skeens has struck out Three Phillies batters Skeens has not allowed a baserunner thus far bone And red hot of late Swing and a foul tip and a strikeout and that is number four for Skeens Got ball him out in front. It was also well placed ball four And there's your first baserunner of the game for the Phillies swing and a miss and he strikes out Stott that's five K's for Skeens And on to inning number four Mick Abel gets back to work here in the fourth inning. No score Alexander Canario will bat now. He struck out his first time up Seven strikeouts for Abel two outs here in the fourth inning Fly ball down the left field line Kepler's on the run. He's there makes the catch and the ending is over Scoreless game as we go to the bottom of the fourth inning a little bit of a pitcher's duel was broken out here at Citizens Bank Park. Yeah, it's Rob Thompson. Kale Cotham and the crew Yeah, you got to be very very pleased with what Mick Abel has done to debut a strike three called Six K's for Skeens. Boy, that's nasty Really is Mick Abel back to work for the start of the fifth inning No score as Abel matching zeros with Paul Skeens breaking ball. Got it looking back door Curveball for Mick Abel and that is his eighth strikeout on the afternoon five scoreless innings here It is major league debut for Mick Abel And we'll go to the bottom of the fifth still no score Paul Skeens back to work scoreless game bottom of the fifth and the first pitch to Nick Castellanos ground ball left side Hayes over to his left as he go off the end of his glove couldn't quite get it clean and Castellanos has the first hit of the game for the Phillies and I bring up Max Kepler And a base hit it's a right center field Castellanos around second He's going to third the throw to third by Reynolds is cut off. They were holding Kepler at first It's first at third Well now Brandon Marsh who walked his last time up his first time up Phillies have two hits They both have come in this inning bouncer back toward the middle Picked up by Connor Falefa. He'll throw to first not in time and the Phillies take the lead Marsh gets an RBI It's one nothing here in the fifth and Connor Falefa the shortstop fielding that on the second baseman side of the bag So he had to go over the bag to get it and his throw was just a hair behind Kurt Simmons has the Phillies club record for strikeouts in a major league debut at nine and Mick Abel won behind that there you go He joins Kurt Simmons for the high-water mark in Phillies history a record that has held up since 1947 Wow Fly ball left center field Marsh is waiting now He comes in makes the catch last time a Philly pitcher in his major league debut when six innings was Jaron Eickhoff in August of 2015 six shutout innings I should say attention shifts to the Phillies bullpen now here for the last three innings Phillies one pirates nothing Orion Kirkering first up so first and second with one out Bouncer back to the bow. He's got him. Take it time. There's one two Orion Kirkering got some help right there Kirkering gets out of the jam. It's a one four three double play Paul schemes begins the eighth inning. They seek Brandon Marsh trailing 1-0 ground ball to the right side Adam Fraser goes on to first for the out Paul now at 90 pitches I think he's a guy that we're gonna see surpass that hundred pitch threshold quite a bit in his career a big physical guy and Now he has tied the most swings and misses Of a game and nine strikeouts ties a season-high for him This is the eighth inning and it's just just keeps going No big deal Pop up shallow center going out I say a kinder falafel has it Paul schemes in one of his best starts of his career It's back to the pirate dugout having allowed one run with nine strikeouts through eight innings He is trailing 1-0 studies who have a 1-0 lead Here in the top of the ninth inning. They've been out hit today 6-3, but they lead this game 1-0 And Jordan Romano will try to close it out swing and a miss one away 12 strikeouts for Phillies pitching today. Oh to Swing and a miss he got him back-to-back strikeouts Two outs here in the ninth inning Swing and a miss he got him He struck out the side here in the ninth inning to secure the win for Mick Abel. It is major league debut This might be the low point of the season for the Pirates offense the Pirates lose one to nothing despite a complete game masterpiece by Paul schemes