Arizona Diamondbacks'Jake McCarthy jogs home after his two-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug 10, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
PHOENIX (AP) — Jake McCarthy hit two home runs, Ketel Marte got his 30th of the season before leaving with a left ankle contusion and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-1 on Saturday night.
Corbin Carroll also homered for Arizona, which has won 14 of its last 17 games to move into a wild-card spot and within range of the Dodgers in the National League West.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen also departed early, after moving awkwardly in attempting to field Bryce Harper’s grounder up the middle in the fifth inning. Gallen said after the game that he was dealing with cramps and that he was fine.
“I’m not concerned about it,” Gallen said. “Just hydrate a little better next time.”
Chase Field was warmer than usual, with a crowd of 46,183 combined with Phoenix’s summer heat outside made conditions a little tricky in the dome. The Diamondbacks gave away replica league championship rings, commemorating their victory over Philadelphia last season. Marte was the most valuable player in that seven-game series.
There was some concern initially with Gallen because the ace right-hander missed a month earlier this season with a right hamstring injury.
“I felt like he was grinding through his outing, it wasn’t easy for him,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “I made the decision that he should come out and that it wasn’t worth the risk.”
Marte also appears to be fine after leaving the game in the fourth inning.
Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs lined a hit off third baseman Eugenio Suárez’s glove and stretched it into a double. The throw to Marte covering second was late and Stubbs’ head-first slide landed him on the back of Marte’s left leg as the fielder was on his knee, and he fell to the ground in pain. The All-Star second baseman eventually left the field under his own power with a trainer and was replaced by Kevin Newman.
Marte said “I’ll be ready to play Monday” after the game and didn’t fault Stubbs for the slide.
“No, he’s a good kid and he slid head first and was trying not to hurt me,” Marte said.
Stubbs was contrite after the game, saying: “It was horrible. I knew that I got him good and so I immediately reached for him.”
McCarthy hit a pair of two-run homers, giving him six for the season and his first career multi-home run game. Marte homered in the first off Aaron Nola to reach the 30 mark for the second time in his career. He hit 32 homers in 2019.
Josh Bell doubled home two more runs off Yunior Marte in the seventh to extend the lead before McCarthy connected for the second time. Carroll hit a two-run homer, his 10th, in a six-run seventh.
Nola (11-6) went five innings, allowing nine hits and four runs — three earned. He walked three and struck out four.
“It’s hard to pitch when I’m not ahead in the count,” Nola said. “They didn’t miss much when the ball was over the plate.”
The Diamondbacks are already without first baseman Christian Walker (strained left oblique) and catcher Gabriel Moreno (strained left adductor), both on the injured list for an undetermined period. The replacements for Walker and Moreno have already contributed to victories, though, as first baseman Bell has two two-homer games while rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo hit his first major-league home run in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Phillies on Friday.
Gallen went 4 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and one run. He walked two and struck out three.
Kevin Ginkel (7-2) relieved Gallen and got five outs for the victory. Arizona relievers did not allow a hit.
Max Lazar made his major-league debut for the Phillies, retiring all four batters he faced including a strikeout of Joc Pederson.
The Phillies, who still lead the NL East comfortably, are 4-5 on a Western trip to Seattle, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona which wraps up Sunday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Manager Rob Thomson said Taijuan Walker (right index finger) remains on track to start Tuesday’s game against Miami. The right-hander last pitched on June 21.
UP NEXT
Arizona has not named a starter for Sunday’s series finale, but it appears that the Diamondbacks will activate RHP Merrill Kelly from the injured list to face Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (8-7, 3.27). Kelly (2-0, 2.19), who won 12 games last season and three more in the Diamondbacks’ run to the World Series, has been out since April 15 with a right shoulder strain.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
By JACK THOMPSON
Associated Press
This post was last modified on 08/10/2024 10:05 pm