D-backs win 6th in a row
Arizona now 43-26, matching best start in team history
PHILADELPHIA — The Arizona Diamondbacks are playing carefree, and it’s showing in the win column.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run double and also made a key catch, boosting the Diamondbacks over the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Saturday for Arizona’s sixth straight victory.
The Diamondbacks improved to 43-26, matching the best 69-game start in team history.
“You just don’t press and trust the whole team,” said Jake Lamb, whose thirdinning single upped his MLB-leading RBI total to 59. “There’s just no panic in the dugout.”
Philadelphia has lost six in a row to Arizona and 10 of 11 overall.
Daniel Descalso hit a goahead single in a four-run seventh inning.
Jorge De La Rosa (31) won in relief of Zack Godley, who struck out a career-high eight in 5 2/3
at Phillies 10:30 a.m. today, FSAZ
innings.
“He looked gross,” Lamb said of Godley. “That’s what he does. Nothing’s straight.”
Jerad Eickhoff pitched six strong innings for the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits, but remained winless this season. He has the worst run support among NL starters, the Phillies have tallied less than two runs in six of his 14 starts. The last Phillies starter to begin a season without a win in as many starts was Matt Beech in 1997.
Edubray Ramos (0-4) relieved Eickhoff and gave up the first three runs of Arizona’s four-run seventh.
Rey Fuentes led off with a single, and was safe at second when catcher Andrew Knapp failed to get him on De La Rosa’s sacrifice bunt. The play proved pivotal as Descalso followed with a tiebreaking single.
“I would’ve preferred he went to first but, hey, I’m not going to fault him for trying to be aggressive,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “I just think he should’ve went to first.”
“That was the catalyst of the big inning,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.
Goldschmidt’s double made it 4-1 and Brandon Drury added an RBI single.
The Phillies threatened in the bottom half, loading the bases with two outs for Michael Saunders. But Goldschmidt made an outstanding catch at first base, lunging toward the line on Saunders’ drive.