PHILADELPHIA -- Josh Bell's batting average isn't very impressive.

The power of the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie first baseman, on the other hand, leaves nothing to be desired.

Bell hit a two-run homer and drove in the eventual game-winning run to help the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Bell put his team up 2-1 in the fourth inning with a two-run shot to left, his 16th homer of the season and part of a three-run frame that for a while was his team's only offensive output.

Though he is batting just .229, his 16 home runs are a Pirates rookie record before the All-Star break, and his 42 RBIs are the most by any Pittsburgh rookie pre-All-Star Game since Warren Morris' 47 in 1999.

"It's cool," he said. "A lot of ups and downs with the average, but when it comes to slugging and stuff like that, I'm definitely proud of where I am."

After the Phillies (28-56) tied it 3-3 in the seventh inning, Bell came up big again. He laced a one-out double down the right field line in the eighth inning to score center fielder Andrew McCutchen and put the Pirates back on top for good.

Gregory Polanco and Elias Diaz followed later in the eighth with RBI doubles to chase Joaquin Benoit (1-3), who took the loss by giving up three runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Polanco also hit a solo home run in the fourth.

The victory was the third in a row for Pittsburgh (40-46) to close out the four-game series.

Chad Kuhl (3-6) picked up the win with seven strong innings. Juan Nicasio earned his first save since 2015 with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Polanco (4-for-4, two RBIs, two runs), Bell (2-for-5, three RBIs, two runs) and McCutchen (3-for-4, two runs, walk) accounted for almost all of the Pirates' offense. The rest of the Pittsburgh lineup totaled two hits and a walk.

The Pirates who didn't hit certainly fielded. Left fielder Jose Osuna threw out three runners trying to stretch singles into doubles, becoming the first Pirates outfielder with at least three assists in a game since 1991.

"I encourage the guys to be aggressive, to turn the single into the double," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but when you take that hard turn into second base, you should have time to decide when to go."

Bell's clutch hits helped make up for a costly error he was partially responsible for in the third.

Diaz tried to pick off the Phillies' Andrew Knapp at first base after a swing-and-miss by Andres Blanco. But with Bell distracted by Blanco's bat heading into the stands, the ball whizzed right by Bell and down the first base line, allowing Knapp to get around all three bases and score.

"I've never seen it, and I've been in the game 43 years," Hurdle said. "And I played baseball before that, and I've never seen that play."

"I think a lot of the stadium was looking at the bat," Bell said. "A tough situation, I was just happy to capitalize and make up for it."

Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson settled down after the two home runs, retiring the last eight batters he faced before departing for a pinch hitter after six innings. He threw just 77 pitches, 50 for strikes, striking out four while allowing three runs and five hits with no walks.

That still wasn't enough to avoid running his streak of winless outings to nine (0-4), though he avoided taking the loss thanks to a two-RBI single by Aaron Altherr in the seventh to make it 3-3.

"Hellickson pitched pretty well, he had the one inning where he got hurt by the long ball again," Mackanin said. "Occasionally he just gets into, I won't call it a rut, but he gets into a situation where he just pushes his changeup, he doesn't have the good arm action he usually has."

Altherr's hit was the only major blemish in what was otherwise a second consecutive strong outing by Kuhl. The right-hander went seven innings for the first time this season, giving up three runs (two earned) and six hits while walking three and striking out three.

In Kuhl's last two starts, he has given up four runs (three earned) in 13 innings.

"Two (earned) runs on the night, 20 out of 24 first-pitch strikes, live fastball from start to finish, slider and changeup played off that," Hurdle said. "I liked the matchup, liked where he was with the pitch count, it was another opportunity for him to show some growth and develop some growth."

NOTES: The game was delayed 47 minutes because of rain. ... Pittsburgh's bullpen did not allow a run in 11 innings through the four-game series, striking out 13 Phillies batters. ... Philadelphia begins a three-game series at home against San Diego on Friday. The Phillies send RHP Nick Pivetta (2-4, 4.85 ERA) against Padres LHP Clayton Richard (5-8, 4.85). ... The Pirates will travel to Chicago to start a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday afternoon. Pittsburgh RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 4.67 ERA) goes against RHP Eddie Butler (4-3, 4.18 ERA).