Diamondbacks stay alive with 5-1 win over Phillies in NLCS Game 6
PHILADELPHIA — The Diamondbacks, with a little bit of pitching, a little bit of power and dash of speed, ensured that their season will live another day. On Tuesday, they will face the Phillies in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, with only nine innings standing between them and a pennant. They forced that outcome with a 5-1 win in Monday’s Game 6.
Nick Piecoro's analysis: DBacks' comeback identity reaffirmed in Game 6
The Diamondbacks did not take long to get on the board. Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit back-to-back home runs with no outs in the second inning, activating the Diamondbacks’ dormant power. They have now had a set of back-to-back home runs in all three series this postseason.
From there, the offense was a steady flow. Alek Thomas scored on an Evan Longoria double later in the inning, Corbin Carroll scored on a Ketel Marte triple in the fifth and Geraldo Perdomo scored on a Marte single in the seventh.
On the mound, Merrill Kelly was excellent for his five innings, striking out eight and allowing just one run. He gave way to a bullpen that combined for four scoreless innings, confirming that the series, and the season, would continue for one more night.
—Theo Mackie
Greg Moore: History on deck as Dbacks force decisive NLCS Game 7 against Phillies
Diamondbacks use running game to set up insurance run
PHILADELPHIA — For much of this series, the Diamondbacks lacking running game has been a subject of debate and criticism. In Monday’s Game 6, they have three stolen bases, including one to set up a seventh inning insurance run as they lead the Phillies, 5-1.
Geraldo Perdomo led off the inning by dumping a single to left field and then stole second base as Corbin Carroll struck out swinging. The extra base proved critical when Ketel Marte grounded a single up the middle to bring Perdomo home. Marte also stole a base but his efforts proved fruitless when Gabriel Moreno and Christian Walker both flied out to right.
—Theo Mackie
Merrill Kelly pulled after five strong innings as DBacks lead
PHILADELPHIA — After three consecutive disappointing outings from the Diamondbacks’ top two starting pitchers, Merrill Kelly delivered in Game 6. Thanks in large part to his efforts, the Diamondbacks lead, 4-1, in the sixth inning.
Kelly allowed one run in five innings, striking out eight, walking three and allowing three hits. Critically, he did not allow a hit to Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper, although he did walk Schwarber twice and Harper once. Those two sluggers had destroyed the Diamondbacks throughout the series.
In his final inning, Kelly struck both players out swinging on his curveball. Afterward, he and Torey Lovullo had an animated discussion on the dugout steps before Kelly turned to walk away in frustration. Lovullo replaced Kelly, who had thrown 90 pitches, with Ryan Thompson to start the bottom of the sixth.
—Theo Mackie
Ketel Marte’s triple builds DBacks lead to 4-1
PHILADELPHIA — Ketel Marte’s triple into the right-field corner drove home Corbin Carroll, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning on Monday night.
Carroll battled through an eight-pitch at-bat against Aaron Nola before banging a one-out single into center. Marte followed by hammering the second pitch he saw into the corner, where Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos had trouble playing it cleanly. The ball squirted past him, allowing Carroll to score easily and for Marte to take third.
Marte’s hit led to the first pitching change of the night, with right-hander Michael Lorenzen taking over for Nola with one out in the fifth.
The hit extended Marte’s hitting streak to 15 games to start his postseason career, tied for the longest such streak with Marquis Grissom, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
—Nick Piecoro
Merrill Kelly through four innings as DBacks lead
PHILADELPHIA — Merrill Kelly turned in his first 1-2-3 inning of the night in the fourth, and the Diamondbacks owned a 3-1 lead in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series as play headed to the fifth inning on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Kelly not only allowed traffic in each of the first three innings, but the Phillies had a runner in scoring position in every frame.
Kelly has needed 76 pitches through four innings, and with the top of the Phillies’ lineup due up again in the fifth, it could be that Kelly’s night could come to an end in relatively short order. To that point, left-hander Andrew Saalfrank was up and warming in the Diamondbacks bullpen during the bottom of the fourth.
—Nick Piecoro
Phillies cut into Diamondbacks lead but Kelly limits damage
PHILADELPHIA — After the Diamondbacks’ explosive top of the second inning, the Phillies fought back in the bottom half, but only a little. After two innings, Arizona leads, 3-1, in Game 6 of the NLCS.
J.T. Realmuto led off the inning with a double on a seemingly mis-located fastball from Merrill Kelly. He came around to score when Brandon Marsh singled to right field with one out.
The damage, though, could have been a whole lot worse. Marsh advanced to second when Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll overthrew the cutoff man. Marsh eventually reached third with two outs, but was stranded there. For the second time in the game, Kelly pitched carefully to Kyle Schwarber, walking the explosive Phillies’ slugger. He then got Trea Turner to strike out swinging on three pitches, ending the threat with two men on and Bryce Harper looming in the on-deck circle.
—Theo Mackie
Pham, Gurriel go back-to-back as DBacks lead early
PHILADELPHIA — Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. gave the Diamondbacks an early lead, launching back-to-back home runs to left field to lead off the second inning, and an Evan Longoria double added to the score later in the inning. The Diamondbacks lead the Phillies, 3-0, in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, as they look to force a Game 7.
Pham connected on a 2-2 curveball from Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. Gurriel got a 1-1 fastball and hit it out to left-center.
Alek Thomas worked a walk off Nola after the home runs, and Longoria followed with by ripping a first-pitch fastball into the left-center field gap to drive home Thomas. The Diamondbacks missed a chance to add to the lead, however, leaving Longoria standing on third to end the inning.
Right-hander Merrill Kelly, meanwhile, worked out of trouble in the bottom of the first, issuing walks to Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper before retiring Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott to end the inning.
—Nick Piecoro
Lineup announced for Diamondbacks-Phillies Game 6
After three straight games of tinkering with his lineup, Torey Lovullo is fielding the starting nine that has been his choice for the majority of the postseason in Game 6.
That means that Tommy Pham is back in the lineup, serving as the Diamondbacks’ designated hitter and batting fifth. Lovullo opted for Pham over Pavin Smith, despite Smith providing a left-on-right option, as he did when he started Game 5.
As usual against a right-handed starter — in this case, Aaron Nola — Alek Thomas is starting at centerfield. Thomas sat in Games 3 and 4 with the Phillies having left-handed starters in those games. He came off the bench for a massive, game-tying pinch-hit home run in Game 4.
At third base, Evan Longoria continues to get the nod over Emmanuel Rivera, despite being 1 for 12 in this series. In Games 3 and 4, Longoria was Arizona’s designated hitter with Rivera starting at third. Rivera has not been any better, going 1 for 8 as the Diamondbacks’ season-long offensive struggles at the hot corner continue.
The Diamondbacks’ lineup is as follows:
Corbin Carroll, RF
Ketel Marte, 2B
Gabriel Moreno, C
Christian Walker, 1B
Tommy Pham, DH
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
Alek Thomas, CF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Geraldo Perdomo, SS
—Theo Mackie
NLCS Game 6 start time remains 2:07 p.m. Arizona time
There was a chance Monday's NLCS Game 6 between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies was going to move into the 5:03 p.m. time slot, but the Texas Rangers had other plans.
The Rangers forced a Game 7 in the ALCS by virtue of their 9-2 win over the Houston Astros Sunday night, and the two teams will face off in a finale in Major League Baseball's late slot Monday night.
The originally scheduled NLCS time remains the plan, with a 2:07 p.m. first-pitch start time. The game will be aired on TBS.
—Matthew Self
Diamondbacks-Phillies pitching matchup for NLCS Game 6
Diamondbacks at Phillies, 2:07 p.m., Citizens Bank Park
Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (1-1, 3.00) vs. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (3-0, 0.96).
Kelly matched up with Nola in Game 2 and took the loss in what would become a 10-0 Phillies win. Kelly gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings. He served up three home runs, two to DH Kyle Schwarber, and another to SS Trea Turner. … He started Game 1 of the division series against the Dodgers, firing 6 1/3 scoreless innings in what was the longest outing by a Diamondbacks starter this postseason. … Those 12 innings give him 189 2/3 innings combined this season, still short of the 200 1/3 innings he threw last season. … Nola continued what has been a sparkling postseason for him by firing six scoreless innings in Game 2. In three playoff games this year, he has given up just two runs in 18 2/3 innings. Nola is a free agent this winter, and his performance this postseason could help offset what was a mediocre regular season. … Nola allowed only one extra-base hit in Game 2, a double to 2B Ketel Marte.
Coming up
Tuesday, Game 7 (if necessary): At Philadelphia, 5:07 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 2.13) vs. Phillies LHP Ranger Suarez (1-0, 0.64).
NLCS schedule, results
All games on TBS
Game 1: Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 3
Game 2: Phillies 10, Diamondbacks 0
Game 3: Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1
Game 4: Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 5
Game 5: Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 1, Philadelphia leads series 3-2
Game 6: Oct. 23, Arizona at Philadelphia, 2:07 p.m.
Game 7: Oct. 24, Arizona at Philadelphia, 5:07 p.m.*; Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 2.13) vs. Phillies LHP Ranger Suarez (1-0, 0.64).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks stay alive with 5-1 win over Phillies in NLCS Game 6
