PHOENIX — Merrill Kelly pitched five solid innings in his return from a shoulder injury, Jake McCarthy had three hits and four RBIs and the Arizona Diamondbacks stayed in top form with a 12-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
The D-backs won their eighth straight series and made it three of four victories against the Phillies. Since July 1, Arizona has a 25-10 record.
Philadelphia has lost three games in a row and 10 of 14. The Phillies have allowed 23 runs in their last two games.
McCarthy broke the game in the fifth with a two-out, bases clearing triple along the right field line which scored three runs and made it 8-2. The outfielder is one of the best hitters in the major leagues with a .403 average (25 of 62) over the last three weeks.
Rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo contributed three hits and two RBIs. The 25-year-old has hit 7 of 12 home runs in his first three major league games, including a walk-off home run on Friday.
Corbin Carroll hit a two-run homer in the seventh to 12:5. It was his 11th home run of the season.
Kelly (3-0) was back on the mound after nearly four months off due to a strained right shoulder. The veteran was a key part of the Diamondbacks’ run to the 2023 World Series with a 12-8 record and a 3.29 ERA.
He managed five innings with 85 pitches and the last four innings were scoreless. The 35-year-old allowed two runs on three hits and two walks and managed two strikeouts.
The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the first when Alec Bohm hit a two-run double into right-center that scored Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. The D-backs cut that lead in half in the bottom of the first on Randal Grichuk’s RBI single.
Arizona took control with a four-run third inning. Eugenio Suárez tied the game with an RBI double and the D-backs took a 4-2 lead on a two-run single by rookie Del Castillo down the right field line. Del Castillo scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2.
Nick Castellanos had two hits for the Phillies. Brandon Marsh and Cal Stevenson added RBI singles.
Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (8-8) allowed five runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed two walks and struck out four times.
TRAINING ROOM
D-backs OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. left the game after the third inning with a strained left hamstring. He was 2-for-2 at the plate and made an impressive diving catch off the left-field wall before Carroll took his place.
MAKE MOVEMENTS
Phillies: Claimed RHP Kyle Tyler from Miami off waivers and sent him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Designated RHP Nick Nelson for assignment.
Diamondbacks: RHP Scott McGough was sent to Triple-A Reno. RHP Humberto Castellanos was designated for transfer.
Next
Phillies: Monday off. RHP Taijuan Walker (3-3, 5.60 ERA) is expected to start Tuesday at home against Miami.
Diamondbacks: Arizona stays home and sends RHP Brandon Pfaadt (6-6, 3.92) to the mound on Monday. Colorado counters with RHP Cal Quantrill (7-8, 4.56).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
