Arizona Diamondbacks Shut Down Philadelphia Phillies to Force Game 7 in NLCS
Behind a complete effort at the plate and on the mound, the Arizona Diamondbacks have officially survived to fight another day.
The Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 in Game 6 of the NLCS on Monday night. In doing so, Arizona has forced a winner-takes-all Game 7, which will take place Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
It wasn't too long ago that the Diamondbacks had their backs up against the wall, down 2-0 to the Phillies. After evening up the series back at home, though, the D-Backs showed they weren't fading away just yet.
Still, Monday's contest was a must-win for Arizona, as a loss would have sent Philadelphia to the World Series in their place.
The Diamondbacks got a leg up early in Game 6, picking up back-to-back home runs from designated hitter Tommy Pham and left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. An RBI double by third baseman Evan Longoria put Arizona up 3-0 in the second inning, even though it was effectively erased by Brandon Marsh's RBI single for Philadelphia in the bottom of the frame.
Arizona's lead stayed locked at two until second baseman Katel Marte tripled down the right field line for another RBI in the fifth. Marte added another RBI in the seventh with a single up the middle, putting even more distance between the clubs.
The Phillies didn't score after the second inning, thanks in large part to Merrill Kelly's gem. The right-hander struck out eight batters in 5.0 innings, only giving up three hits and three walks.
Kelly showed some frustration when he didn't go back out for the sixth, but the Diamondbacks' bullpen took care of business from then on out. Arizona relievers tossed 4.0 scoreless innings and gave up just three hits to Philadelphia hitters in that time.
The top three batters in the Phillies' lineup – designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, shortstop Trea Turner and first baseman Bryce Harper – combined to go 0-for-9 with four strikeouts.
There weren't many dramatic moments down the stretch, as a silenced Citizens Bank Park had to watch their team drop a pivotal Game 6.
Game 7 is scheduled to get underway at 8:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The winner will advance to the World Series, while the loser will go home for the offseason.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Check out more Arizona Diamondbacks coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Diamondbacks.
Check out more Philadelphia Phillies coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Phillies.
