Wheeler deals as Phillies win

PHOENIX — Zack Wheeler delivered another postseason gem with seven shutdown innings, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmulto and Kyle Schwarber homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.

Philadelphia moved one win from its second straight World Series appearance, regaining control after wasting late leads in consecutive one-run losses at the Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.

Bryson Stott hit an RBI single and Harper slid home in a collision with catcher Gabriel Moreno as part of a double steal that built a 2-0 lead in the first off Arizona’s Zac Gallen.

Schwarber’s homer was his fifth in the NLCS and 20th of his postseason career as the Philadelphia lineup roughed up Gallen for a second time this series. Schwarber’s sixth-inning drive traveled 461 feet over the swimming pool beyond the right-center field fence, quieting a crowd of 47,897. Two batters later, Harper hit a 444-foot homer into the right-field seats.

Realmuto added a two-run homer in the eighth against Luis Frías for 6-1 lead.

The series resumes Monday in Philadelphia, where the Phillies are 6-0 this postseason with 17 homers at Citizens Bank Park.

Wheeler, a 33-year-old right-hander from the Atlanta area, gave up one run and five hits with a walk while striking out eight batters. He is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four postseason starts this year, striking out 34 batters and walking two in 26 innings.

Gallen gave up four runs and six hits six innings, dropping to 2-2 with a 5.24 in four playoff outings. He allowed five runs over five innings in taking the Game 1 loss to Wheeler.

Alek Thomas homered in the seventh for the Diamondbacks, a day after his tying home run in the eighth sparked Arizona to a series-evening win. Thomas has a team record four homers this postseason.

Schwarber reached 20 postseason homers in 63 games, a record low.