PHILADELPHIA -- Andrew McCutchen doesn't generally need bounces to go his way to have success, but the Pirates will take anything and everything in their favor as they have their sights set on the playoffs with less than three weeks to go.
That bounce Wednesday was one off the left-center-field wall that allowed McCutchen to have a stand-up inside-the-park homer. It was the most invigorating of the Pirates' 13 hits they totaled in a 6-3 win against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
 
McCutchen hits inside-the-park HR, Pirates top Phillies
 
The victory kept the Pirates' lead for the second National League Wild Card at 1 1/2 games, and moved the team 3 1/2 behind the Cardinals in the NL Central race. It was also the fifth win in six games -- all the victories coming away from PNC Park for a team with a .438 road winning percentage.
McCutchen's first career homer that didn't leave the yard was part of a trio of two-run innings for Pittsburgh. Russell Martin hit a solo homer -- this one over the fence -- later in the fifth to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead. They padded their lead in the next inning with RBIs from Josh Harrison and Starling Marte.
The Bucs scored in the first inning as Harrison and Marte started the game by getting plunked by Phillies starter Jerome Williams. McCutchen singled to put both runners in scoring position, and they scored when Martin lined a hit to left field.
Vance Worley made his return to Citizens Bank Park, where he pitched in parts of three seasons with the Phillies. The biggest swing which hurt Worley was a two-run single by Williams which came with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth. It marked the second consecutive night the Phillies had an RBI hit from their starting pitcher.
Worley ended with four strikeouts to four hits and two walks, and he worked a clean fifth inning to line himself up for the win. It was his seventh of the season and first at Citizens Bank Park since June 16, 2012, when he beat the Pirates. The Pirates then got four scoreless innings from their bullpen, including one each from recent callups Bobby LaFromboise and John Holdzkom.
Stephen Pianovich / MLB.com
 

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