Diamondbacks bullpen has its finest hour in shutout win over Phillies

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks’ bullpen has been an unexpected strength of the team all season, and Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies was the unit’s showcase.

The D-backs opted to roll with a bullpen game as they looked to avoid getting swept at home by a Phillies team riding high, a group that won 15 of its previous 17 games.

With Arizona looking to get a number of starting pitchers off the injured list next week and knowing an off day is coming on Thursday, the Diamondbacks pushed its bullpen to the max, and it worked.

Taylor Clarke, Derek Law, Kevin Ginkel, Jose Cabrera, Brandyn Garcia, Jonathan Loaisiga and Juan Morillo stymied the Phillies with three hits and two walks between them. It was the most pitchers used in a nine-inning shutout win in franchise history.

A bullpen game always runs the risk that one of the many arms coming in would be off, but that did not happen on Wednesday.

A highlight was Brandyn Garcia’s seventh inning in which he struck out Luis Arraez, the toughest player to punch out in Major League Baseball (4.2%), on a filthy sweeper down-and-away.

Morillo had to face the top of the Philadelphia order in the ninth inning and struck out Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. After a walk to the red-hot Bryce Harper, Morillo got Arraez to bounce out for the save.

Arizona’s offense was pretty unhelpful all game until the eighth inning, when catcher James McCann hit the game-winning solo home run.

McCann with the breakthrough. pic.twitter.com/BmdEiJjdeU

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 2, 2026

Phillies starter Andrew Painter shut out the D-backs through seven innings, and the first pitch from reliever Jonathan Bowlan was shot over the wall. It was fitting for McCann to get the big knock considering he handled the pitching staff during as effective a bullpen game as there gets.

This was also the fastest game of the season for the Diamondbacks at two hours and three minutes.

With the win, the D-backs (74-67) moved back into sole possession of the third National League Wild Card spot, a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres.

More to come after postgame interviews.

Wednesday attendance

19,039

Upcoming Diamondbacks schedule

The D-backs head to Houston for a weekend series against the AL West-leading Astros, starting on Friday. They then will travel to Kansas City for a three-game series against a Royals team with the third-worst record in the American League.

The D-backs are set to start Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez in Houston, while that Royals series is one to watch for injury returns.

Corbin Burnes is pitching a rehab game on Thursday, while Zac Gallen and Michael Soroka are throwing on Friday as the trio takes its final steps toward coming back.

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