Sedona Red Recap: Diamondbacks erupt for 13 more runs, crush the Phillies again
Aug 11, 2015, 10:46 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Jeremy Hellickson connects for a two-run single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
It’s a pretty foolproof way to win baseball games if you can pull it off: score 13 runs, then let your pitchers do the rest.
That strategy has worked twice in a row now for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who sit 6.5 games back of first in the NL West following Tuesday night’s 13-1 blowout victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.
One night after touching up Aaron Harang for eight runs and rolling to a 13-3 win, Arizona obliterated Philadelphia starter David Buchanan in front of 19,836 fans at Chase Field. When the dust had settled, the 26-year old righty had been tagged for 11 earned runs in just 1.2 innings of work.
That pretty much took all the drama out of the evening, and the D-backs cruised from there. With the win, they’re now 56-56, with a chance to go over the .500 mark on Wednesday for the first time since they were 8-7 back on April 22.
THE GOOD
– Jeremy Hellickson picked up the win, ceding zero earned runs over eight innings — his longest outing of the season. He’s now 6-1 in his last seven home starts.
– Hellickson also got the job done at the plate, driving in three runs.
– David Peralta blasted his second career grand slam in the second inning. In his last 14 games, he’s hitting .471 (24-for-51) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 17 RBI.
– Peralta also tied a career-high with five RBI Tuesday.
– In all, eight different D-backs scored at least one run in the second, with Yasmany Tomas, Aaron Hill and Chris Owings crossing home plate twice. Jake Lamb was the only Arizona batter who didn’t score in the inning.
– The 10 hits in one inning represent a season-high for the Diamondbacks.
– The 11 runs scored are the most they’ve put up in one frame since 2010.
– Lamb made a sliding, over-the-shoulder grab on an Odubel Herrera pop-up in the eighth inning to preserve a 12-run lead.
– In his last 34 games, Pollock is hitting .341 (46-for-135). He’s reached base safely in all but two of those games.
THE BAD
– Hellickson got through the first two batters of the game without a problem, but hit the third one, Maikel Franco, on the forearm. Franco laid on the ground behind home plate in obvious pain for awhile before ultimately exiting for the evening with a left wrist contusion. Up next, Ryan Howard singled to right, where an error by Tomas put Arizona in an early 1-0 hole. To be fair though, that run played no part in the eventual outcome.
– In the third inning, Phillies pitcher Hector Neris plunked Paul Goldschmidt, presumably in retaliation. He hit him low though, so cooler heads prevailed.
STAT OF THE GAME
2: Number of hits by Hellickson in the second inning. Not hits allowed, hits off his bat. It’s just the second time in franchise history that an Arizona pitcher has recorded two hits in one inning. Edwin Jackson was the only other one to accomplish the feat (April 11, 2010).
HE SAID IT
“I know he [Hellickson] wasn’t throwing at him [Franco], but that’s how the game goes. No one knows that — no one can get inside our guy’s head. So they properly hit Goldy. That’s fair.” – D-backs manager Chip Hale
NOTED
– Tomas left the game for precautionary reasons with tightness in his left calf.
UP NEXT
Arizona and Philadelphia will wrap up this three-game series with an afternoon meeting at Chase Field on Wednesday. Chase Anderson takes the mound for the Diamondbacks, while Aaron Nola will be the Phillies’ starter. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m. Pregame coverage will start at noon on ESPN Phoenix 620.
Anderson (5-4) had been one of Arizona’s most reliable starters earlier in the season, but he hit a rough patch in late June and July. He bounced back in a big way in his last outing though, tossing seven innings of shutout ball in a 2-0 victory over the Reds on Aug. 7. He faced Philadelphia earlier this season, taking a no-decision as he allowed one run over 5.1 innings in a 4-3 loss on May 15.
Nola (1-2) has long been one of the Phillies’ top prospects and his arrival this summer signifies the youth movement that’s taking place in Philadelphia. Wednesday will be just his fifth career start, and the team is 3-1 in the games he has pitched in so far. He’s picked up wins in his last two decisions, though his most recent outing yielded a no-decision, as he surrendered three runs over six innings while striking out six against the Padres on Aug. 7.
Following the game with the Phillies, the D-backs will head out on the road for a 10-game trip through Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
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