J.T. Realmuto hit a three-run homer in support of Aaron Nola’s first win of the season as the Philadelphia Phillies topped the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2 on Saturday.
Max Kepler added a two-run home run for Philadelphia, which improved to 6-1 over its last seven games. Nola (1-5) allowed four hits and one walk over six scoreless innings, matching his season high with eight strikeouts.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer for the Diamondbacks, who have lost seven of their last 10 games. Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt (5-2), who had won his previous five starts, was charged with seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Philadelphia opened the scoring in the second inning as Nick Castellanos led off with a single and Kepler followed with a homer into the right field seats. It was the fifth homer of the season for Kepler, who also went deep in Friday’s series-opening 3-2 win.
Realmuto followed with a double and came around to score two batters later on Brandon Marsh’s double down the right field line.
Nola retired the side in order in the third, setting the stage for Realmuto’s three-run homer in the bottom half of the frame.
Kyle Schwarber was hit by a pitch to begin that rally and then Kepler singled with one out. The next batter was Realmuto, who sent a 1-1 sweeper into the left field seats for his third homer of the season, making it 6-0.
Philadelphia tacked on another run in the fourth. Trea Turner led off with a double and scored three batters later on a throwing error by third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Nola worked out of a first-and-second jam in the fifth and then retired the side 1-2-3 in the sixth. However, Carlos Hernandez came on for the seventh and promptly allowed a single by Gabriel Moreno and a homer by Gurriel.
Tanner Banks worked a flawless eighth for Philadelphia before Joe Ross took care of things in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
