The Phillies will need to beat elite pitching again and again in October if they want to win the World Series. They haven’t beaten enough the past few years. They got reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes twice this year, including Wednesday night’s 10-6 victory over the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Skenes allowed a career-high eight runs in four innings, allowing home runs to Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh. Skenes allowed a previous high five runs in four career starts before Wednesday, including May 17 against the Phillies in Pittsburgh. “I think we’ve got a good team,” Turner said, offering an explanation for the Phillies thumping Skenes twice. “Sometimes there’s no explanation, but I think we’ve got a good lineup.” Skenes’ defense played poorly on Wednesday, but the Phillies capitalized on every mistake. Good hitting teams do that. “Our club’s not really afraid of anybody,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “So it doesn’t matter who the guy is.” Are the Phillies a good hitting team? Past postseason shortcomings still haunt Phillies fans, of course. The Phils ranked 28th in baseball, averaging 3.64 runs per game during a 9-19 start that got Rob Thomson dismissed on April 28. But there has been improvement. The offense has ranked ninth in baseball under Mattingly, averaging 4.84 runs per game. It ranked second in baseball in June, averaging 5.67 runs per game. “We always thought we were capable of it,” Turner said., “We need to show it, but it's been an extended period of time now, where we've been putting up a lot more runs. We’re a lot more dangerous. It feels more than just Kyle \[Schwarber\
