The Philadelphia Phillies have answered a six-game losing streak with four victories in five games.
Philadelphia will look to keep the run going on Friday night when it faces the Arizona Diamondbacks at Phoenix in the second contest of a four-game series.
The Phillies won the opener 6-4 on Thursday behind a 14-hit attack that featured multiple hits from five players.
Philadelphia will attempt to win the second game with pitching as ace right-hander Zack Wheeler (11-5, 2.77 ERA) will take the mound.
Wheeler tormented the Diamondbacks in last year’s National League Championship Series, going 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in three appearances (two starts). Arizona went 4-1 in the games Wheeler didn’t start to notch an upset and reach the World Series.
Wheeler was at it again on June 22 when he limited the Diamondbacks to one run and two hits over seven innings in a 12-1 victory in Philadelphia. He struck out eight and walked none.
Overall, Wheeler is 5-2 with a 2.97 ERA in nine career starts against Arizona. Recently acquired Josh Bell is 13-for-43 with four homers off Wheeler, while Randal Grichuk (1-for-12), Joc Pederson (2-for-19), Corbin Carroll (2-for-14) and Eugenio Suarez (2-for-12) are among the Diamondbacks who have struggled against him.
Wheeler hasn’t allowed a run in two of his last three starts. In his most recent turn, he struck out nine and allowed two hits over eight innings while beating the Seattle Mariners 6-0 on Sunday.
On Thursday against Arizona, Bryce Harper reached base four times on three hits and an intentional walk. Trea Turner had a two-run tiebreaking single and J.T. Realmuto homered.
The victory further placed a skid that included 12 losses in 15 games in the rear-view mirror.
“We kinda lost ourselves for a little bit,” Turner said. “We had a stretch (of) 15 games or so where we faced a lot of good teams. I think the last three, four, five games we played better, competed harder, and the results are showing.”
The latest hot stretch has pushed Philadelphia’s major-league-best winning percentage to .600.
“We’re feeling a lot better right now than we did a week ago because we’re playing a better brand of baseball,” Realmuto said. “We’re putting together better at-bats, and our starters are giving us a chance to win every game.”
Arizona’s Jake McCarthy went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs and Eugenio Suarez also went deep Thursday. Suarez has hit 11 of his 17 homers this season over his past 27 appearances.
Thursday’s loss ended Arizona’s four-game winning streak. The Diamondbacks are 14-5 since the All-Star break.
“I was proud of our guys today,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “I was proud of the way we fought.”
Right-hander Ryne Nelson (8-6, 4.65 ERA), who is 3-0 with a 2.98 ERA over his last seven starts, will start for the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Nelson received a no-decision in his last outing as he gave up four runs and six hits over five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. He struck out seven and walked two.
Nelson didn’t face the Phillies in the June series in Philadelphia. He appeared in relief in Game 2 of the NLCS last season and gave up three runs and four hits while recording two outs.
In two regular-season appearances, Nelson is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA against Philadelphia. Bryson Stott (3-for-7, one homer), Harper (3-for-6) and Alec Bohm (3-for-4) have fared well against Nelson.
Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (left adductor strain), who was injured Monday, likely will miss “several weeks,” Lovullo said Thursday. Arizona plans to seek a second opinion on Moreno’s injury.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia is awaiting test results for outfielder Austin Hays, who sustained left hamstring tightness in Wednesday’s victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. One option is placing Hays on the 10-day injured list.
–Field Level Media
