Final score: Phillies 7, Diamondbacks 4
Is it safe to say the Philadelphia Phillies have gotten over the hump against the Arizona Diamondbacks?
It looked like they might be in danger of another sweep. Instead, the Phillies found a way to win a wild extra-inning battle and used the momentum to win the last two games of the series. They now sit four games back in the wild card race and four and a half games back in the NL East.
Jean Segura appears to be back after a mid-August slump. In this series, he went 9-for-19 with two home runs, four RBIs and six runs scored. He helped the Phillies jump on Madison Bumgarner early with a single in the first inning and came around to score on Andrew McCutchen’s single. In the fifth inning, it was deja vu as he led off with a single and came around to score once again. This offense desperately needs this version of Segura heading into September.
Fellow middle infielder Freddy Galvis helped the cause with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a two-run single in the fifth for three RBIs total. It’s important to note that Rafael Marchan’s two-out single in the fourth inning made that fifth inning possible. That brought Ranger Suárez to the plate for the final out of the inning rather than him leading off the fifth.
Bumgarner worked around the middle of the Phillies lineup with three walks to the 2-4 hitters. That put runners on base often for Galvis and Jorge Bonifacio, who recorded his first RBI as a Phillie on a groundout to first base.
Insurance was still much needed. While Suarez continues to impress with each passing start, the bullpen made it interesting after his exit with three earned runs to make it 5-4.
The Diamondbacks’ sixth error of the series came in the eighth inning and started another Phillies rally. Galvis reached on an E5 from Josh Rojas. Rafael Marchan scorched a triple off of Ketel Marte’s glove in center and Travis Jankowski traded places with him two pitches later to extend the lead to 7-4. Ian Kennedy recorded his fifth save in six tries with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the series win.
Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance
Ranger Suárez: 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 95 pitches
Once again, Suárez gave the Phillies a superb effort. His only earned run came off of a weak contact double that landed in no man’s land in right field. Regardless of his role, he has gotten the job done this year, hitting spots and keeping hitters off-balance with his off-speed pitches. It has been a joy to watch.
Madison Bumgarner: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, 100 pitches
This is not the Bumgarner that Phillies fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years. Coming into today’s game, Bumgarner had eight quality starts in 12 career starts against the Phillies. Just ten days ago, he tossed eight innings of one-run baseball holding the Phillies offense to just three hits. Today was a much different story as he struggled with command and consistently put runners on base.
Phillies Nugget Of The Game
Suárez is the first player to have four saves, six games started and an ERA under 2.00 in a single season with more than 60 innings pitched since Phil Niekro did so in 1967.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Monday, August 30 vs. Washington Nationals at Nationals Park
- 7:05 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
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