PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies finished off their four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a run-producing machine.
After scoring seven runs in each of the first three games, the Phillies matched that figure once again on Sunday and defeated the Diamondbacks, 7-4, to take the final three games of the series and give them some momentum as they embark on a nine-game road trip.
Since July 1, the Phillies are 21-3 when they score five or more runs, including 14 wins in their last 15. The only loss in that stretch came Thursday night when they scored five runs in the ninth but fell short in Arizona’s 8-7 victory.
In their nine games before Thursday, the Phils had averaged 3.2 runs per game.
One of the major contributions came from Freddy Galvis, who had been 1-for-11 at the plate in his latest stint as a Phillie but drove in three runs Sunday. The big blow came in the fifth when he served a soft line drive to center that fell in and scored Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen to make the score 5-1.
Galvis also played a role in the Phillies’ two-run first inning off Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner. After McCutchen’s single drove home Jean Segura with the initial run, Galvis lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored J.T. Realmuto.
Galvis started at shortstop in place of Didi Gregorius, who was placed on the paternity list before the game.
After the Diamondbacks cut the lead to 5-4 in the eighth, the Phillies answered with back-to-back RBI triples from Rafael Marchárn and Travis Jankowski to get to that magical seven-run mark.
The Ranger
After setting career highs for innings (6 2/3), strikeouts (seven) and pitches (99) while allowing just one run last Tuesday against Tampa Bay, left-hander Ranger Suárez again was effective, allowing five hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings of work with five strikeouts and 95 pitches.
He gave up a run on three hits in the second, but limited the Diamondbacks to one baserunner in the next three innings, none of whom advanced past first. He was lifted after walking Christian Walker in the sixth but J.D. Hammer got the last two outs.
Suarez, who entered the game with a 1.46 earned run average, third-lowest of any major league pitcher with at least 60 innings of work, ended it with a 1.48 ERA.
The Phillies’ bullpen held on for dear life after Suarez departed. Connor Brogdon gave up a run in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Pavin Smith and Nick Ahmed. Then Archie Bradley, who had not pitched since Tuesday due to shoulder discomfort, allowed two in the eighth on Ahmed’s two-run single with the bases loaded.
Hector Neris, pitching for the third straight game, got the third out on Ketel Marte’s fly ball to Harper in right. Ian Kennedy then worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his fifth save in six opportunities.
Who’s on first?
Realmuto started at first base for the first time this season, his 10th game of the season at that position, but he left the game following the fifth inning with left ankle soreness after fouling a ball off his foot. Brad Miller replaced him at first.
Realmuto, who went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, is expected to play a good percentage of the Phils’ final 32 games at first base in place of Rhys Hoskins, who will have season-ending surgery to repair a tear in his lower abdomen.
