After being out with back spasms, Adam Frazier returns to lineup as Pirates top Phillies

Adam Frazier was back in the lineup for the first time in nine days, playing a familiar position while wearing his favorite number with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After being sidelined since Feb. 26 with back spasms, Frazier delivered a game-tying RBI single in the fourth inning in a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in a Grapefruit League game Friday afternoon in Bradenton, Fla.

With Nick Gonzales starting at shortstop, Frazier returned to second base, where he has played in 734 of his 1,000 career games and was an All-Star for the Pirates before being traded to San Diego in July 2021.

“That was fun,” Frazier told SportsNet Pittsburgh. “Back feels better. It’s not a lot of fun on the training room table. It’s good to be back out there in action.”

Frazier is wearing No. 26, his number for his first six seasons with the Pirates from 2016-21. It belonged to left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter, who switched to No. 6 and is negotiating a compensation deal.

“We had a little discussion, but he hasn’t made his mind up yet,” Frazier said of Falter. “I’m just waiting to hear what he comes to me with. As long as it’s not a (Chevy) Tahoe, we can work something out.”

The Pirates got another solid start from Jared Jones, who allowed one run on two hits and one walk and struck out six of the 13 batters he faced in three-plus innings. Jones threw his first seven pitches for strikes and had a pair of Ks in the first inning, getting Rojas swinging at a fastball and Kody Clemens looking at a slider.

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the second, when Garrett Stubbs drew a leadoff walk and scored on Otto Kemp’s one-out double to left field. Jones responded by striking out Gabriel Rincones Jr. before hitting Matt Kroon with a pitch and recovering to get Rafael Lantigua looking at a full-count changeup.

Following a 1-2-3 third, Jones took the mound for the fourth. After Stubbs hit a full-count changeup to right for a double, Yohan Ramirez replaced Jones, who threw 41 of 67 pitches for strikes.

“He’s got the stuff,” Frazier said. “We’ll try to get him in the zone a little more, early. The ‘punchies’ will come, but we want to try to get him into the sixth or seventh inning every night.”

The Pirates added a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Ji Hwan Bae, who went 2 for 2 with two stolen bases, singled on a pop fly to third, reached third on a fielder’s choice and scored when Gonzales grounded into a forceout at second. Joey Bart followed with an RBI single to left field to score Alika Williams for a 3-1 lead.

Clemens hit a 383-foot homer to right off Tanner Rainey in the sixth to cut it to 3-2. Dennis Santana tossed a clean fifth to earn the win, and Eddy Yean extended his scoreless streak to five innings by pitching the final two innings to earn the save.

Notes: Mike Burrows is scheduled to start against Spencer Schwellenbach when the Pirates play the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m. Saturday in North Port.