Two-out rally in sixth secures big win against Diamondbacks
Final Score: Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 4
After taking two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers, another big test was waiting for the Phillies in Arizona.
A series win against the Diamondbacks, owners of the best record in MLB since June 1, would go a long way as the Phillies look to put their long slump behind him. So far, so good.
Starter Kolby Allard kept Arizona’s aggressive hitters off balance just enough to give the Phillies a chance to capitalize against opposing starter Jordan Montgomery and reliever Dylan Floro. They sent nine men to the plate and scored four runs in the sixth inning with two outs en route to a 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Weston Wilson tied the game on a double, Trea Turner gave the Phillies the lead with a two-run single and Bryce Harper added another on an RBI single.
Arizona cut the lead to 4-3 a half inning later on a two-run home run by Jake McCarthy off Orion Kerkering. After allowing the first four batters to reach safely, the Phillies decided to let Kerkering work through his struggles with a string of righties due up and it paid off. Kerkering retired three straight batters, including the final two on strikes, to maintain the lead. José Alvarado maneuvered through similar command trouble an inning later as he stranded two to keep Arizona scoreless in the eighth. Carlos Estévez allowed a run in the ninth to snap his 22 2/3 scoreless streak, but still managed to close it out in the ninth for his first save in a Phillies uniform.
The win snaps the Phillies’ seven-game losing streak in series openers.
Highlights
Eugenio Suárez crushed one off the foul pole in the fifth against Allard to give Arizona a 1-0 lead.
Wilson, after a frustrating at-bat in the fourth, followed up with a game-tying RBI double in the sixth, scoring Nick Castellanos from first.
The Phillies later took the lead on a well-placed two-run single off the bat of Turner against Floro.
Harper added another run on a bloop single to right.
The D-Backs responded a half inning later. Kerkering walked the leadoff batter and allowed a two-run shot to McCarthy that made it 4-3. It was the first home run Kerkering has surrendered in an MLB game.
J.T. Realmuto clobbered his first extra-base hit since May 28, a home run to expand the lead to 5-3.
Edmundo Sosa made it a three-run game in the ninth on a RBI double to right field.
Notes
Allard turned in a second straight solid outing. He allowed one earned run over five innings, earning his first MLB win since October 4, 2022.
Thursday was a special day for Realmuto. He became one of about 1,600 MLB players to reach 10 years of service time. He joins Harper, Castellanos, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker as Phillies players who have reached 10 years of service time.
Kyle Schwarber’s third-inning single extended his hitting streak to eight games. He went 2-for-4 with a double a day after hitting three home runs against the Dodgers.
A lifelong native of Philadelphia, Destiny has been a contributor for Phillies Nation since January 2019 and was named Deputy Editorial Director in May 2020.