Eight is great: D-backs go homer happy in win over Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — The Arizona Diamondbacks got to play Home Run Derby in Philly.

The Diamondbacks hit three straight home runs to open the game and finished with a team-record eight in a 13-8 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in a homer-happy game on Monday night.

Scott Kingery hit two of Philadelphia’s five home runs for the combined MLB record of 13 homers in one game.

On most nights, five would be enough to win a game. But not this one in steamy Philly, where the Diamondbacks turned it into extended batting practice.

Jarrod Dyson, Ketel Marte and David Peralta hit the dinger, tater and long ball all in a row off Jerad Eickhoff in the first inning to get the record romp rolling. Eduardo Escobar became the first Diamondback to homer from different sides of the plate in consecutive innings. Ildemaro Vargas also homered twice, Alex Avila went deep and the Diamondbacks made the Citizens Bank Park outfield seats the place to be for a souvenir.

Well, at least for the fans who wanted one — an angry Phillie fanatic hurled one homer back on the field.

Eickhoff (3-4) allowed two more two-run homers before he was chased in the fourth inning and the Diamondbacks up 7-3. The Diamondbacks hit two more homers in the fifth to set a club record with seven in one game.

Eickhoff allowed five hits in three-plus inning — all the hits homers, and Arizona won its fifth straight game.

Dyson hit the first pitch of the game to right field for his fourth homer of the season. Marte followed with his 16th home run on a drive to right. Peralta finished the long-ball barrage when he went deep to center for his ninth homer before most fans had settled into their soggy seats following a 30-minute rain delay.

It was the first time a team had hit three straight home runs to begin the first inning since the Diamondbacks did it on July 21, 2017, at home against Washington ace Max Scherzer.

Eickhoff gave up two-run shots in the fourth to Eduardo Escobar and Alex Avila. Eickhoff failed to retire a batter in the fourth when he was yanked by manager Gabe Kapler. Eickhoff has allowed 16 home runs this season in 57 1/3 innings and he became the first pitcher in franchise history to surrender three straight homers to start the game.

Escobar hit his second of the game, a solo shot to left, in the fifth off reliever Ranger Suárez. Vargas also added a solo shot in the inning off Suárez for the record seventh home run of the game. Vargas put the exclamation point on the extended batting practice with a two-run homer in the ninth off Austin Davis.

The Diamondbacks had hit six homers in a game six times in franchise history, the last coming June 1, 2018, against the Marlins.

Jean Segura homered in the second inning off Diamondbacks starter Taylor Clarke (3 1/3 innings) and the Phillies tied It 3-all until the Diamondbacks blew the game open with a four-run fourth. Kingery had his first career multi-homer game. Rhys Hoskins and Jay Bruce each hit solo shots in the ninth. Four other NL games had a combined 11 homers for the previous record.

Arizona could do more than go deep. Escobar added an RBI double in the sixth to make it 11-4 and give him five RBIs and give the win to reliever Zack Godley (3-4) after 3 2-3 innings of scoreless ball.

Arizona connected a day after the Nationals hit four home runs in a row in the eighth inning at San Diego. The D-backs are the first team in baseball history to hit eight home runs in a game and surrender eight (March 28 vs. the Dodgers) in the same season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RF Adam Jones returned to the lineup after he missed the last four games with a right hamstring injury.

Phillies: OF Roman Quinn and RHP Edubray Ramos will started rehab assignments with Class A Clearwater. Quinn has been on the injured list since April 25 with a right groin strain. … RHP Seranthony Dominguez will visit Dr. James Andrews this week for a second opinion on his injured right elbow. He could need Tommy John surgery. “Honestly, I’m hoping for a miracle,” he said.

MINOR DEAL

The Phillies acquired international signing bonus slots from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHP Tom Eshelman. Eshelman was the 2017 Paul Owens Award winner, given annually to the best pitcher in the Phillies minor league system.

RECORD DEAL

The Reds hold the NL record for homers in a game with nine in 1999 and Toronto hit 10 in a game in 1987 for the MLB mark.

UP NEXT

The Phillies send RHP Jake Arrieta (5-5, 4.29 ERA) to the mound against RHP Jon Duplantier (1-0, 3.27) on Tuesday in the second game of the three-game set.