NEW DELHI: The Arizona Diamondbacks leveled the National League Championship Series with a convincing 5-1 Game 6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 scheduled for Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. set the tone for the Diamondbacks with back-to-back homers in the second inning against Aaron Nola, who had not allowed a home run in his last 19 2/3 innings this month. Following the home runs, Alek Thomas drew a four-pitch walk, and Evan Longoria added an RBI double, giving Arizona a quick 3-0 lead.
Nola managed to retire nine of the next ten batters before the Diamondbacks chased him in the fifth inning. Corbin Carroll singled and scored on Ketel Marte's triple, extending the lead to 4-1. Marte then contributed an RBI single in the seventh inning to seal the victory.
On the Phillies' side, despite consistently creating scoring opportunities against Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly and their bullpen, they couldn't convert those into meaningful rallies. The Phillies struggled with runners on base, going 1-for-14 and hitless in nine plate appearances with runners on. They managed to score their only run with Brandon Marsh's one-out RBI single in the second inning.
Kelly (2-1) delivered a strong performance for the Diamondbacks, allowing just one run on three hits and three walks while striking out eight over five innings. The Arizona offense was fueled by ninth-place hitter Geraldo Perdomo, who contributed two hits, and the team executed four stolen bases.
Game 7 on Tuesday will be a historic first for the Phillies, marking the first time in their 140-year history that they will be playing a Game 7. The Diamondbacks will aim to maintain their momentum and secure their spot in the World Series.
(With Reuters inputs)The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment