By Canadian Press

Phillies overpower Diamondbacks 6-1, grab 3-2 lead in NLCS

Oct 21, 2023 | 9:52 PM

PHOENIX (AP) — Zack Wheeler delivered another post-season gem with seven shutdown innings, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmulto homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday night to take a 3-2 National League Championship Series lead.

Philadelphia moved one win from its second straight World Series appearance, regaining control after wasting late leads in consecutive one-run losses at Chase Field.

Bryson Stott hit an RBI single and Harper slid home in a collision with catcher Gabriel Moreno as part of a double steal that built a 2-0 lead in the first off Zac Gallen. 

Schwarber’s homer was his fifth in the NLCS and 20th of his post-season career as the Philadelphia lineup roughed up Gallen for a second time this series. Schwarber’s sixth-inning drive travelled 461 feet over the swimming pool beyond the right-centre fence, quieting a crowd of 47,897. Two batters later, Harper hit a 444-foot homer into the right-field seats.

Realmuto added a two-run homer in the eighth against Luis Frías for 6-1 lead. 

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The series resumes Monday in Philadelphia, where the Phillies are 6-0 this post-season with 17 homers.

Wheeler, a 33-year-old right-hander, gave up one run and five hits with a walk while striking out eight. He is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four post-season starts this year, striking out 34 and walking two in 26 innings.

Gallen gave up four runs and six hits six innings, dropping to 2-2 with a 5.24 in four playoff outings. He allowed five runs over five innings in taking the Game 1 loss to Wheeler.

Alek Thomas homered in the seventh for the Diamondbacks, a day after his tying home run in the eighth sparked Arizona to a series-evening win. Thomas has a team record four homers this post-season.

Schwarber, batting .412 with five solo homers in the series, reached on an infield single starting the game and scored on Stott’s two-out single. Stott’s dash for second on a steal drew a throw from Moreno to second baseman Ketel Marte, who stepped in front of the base and made an errant return throw that bounced past Moreno.

Harper collided with Moreno at home plate, dazing the catcher, but who remained in the game. Umpires ruled Harper couldn’t have avoided the collision because Marte’s throw drew Moreno down the third-base line.

MASTER OF SLUG

Schwarber reached 20 post-season homers in 63 games, a record low. The prior mark was held by Houston’s Jose Altuve at 68 games.

RARE THEFT

Harper’s steal of home was the first in Phillies’ post-season history and just the 22nd in MLB post-season history. It’s was the ninth steal of home in since playoffs started in 1969 and the first since Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena in 2021.

LINEUP CHANGES

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo gave Pavin Smith his first start of the post-season, batting him fifth as the designated hitter. Tommy Pham was benched after hitting 1 of 13 in the first four games of the NLCS. Smith was 3 of 4 this post-season coming into Saturday.

ROOF CLOSED

Temperatures hovered around 100 in Phoenix, so Chase Field’s retractable roof was closed for the third straight game. … 28-time Olympic swimming medallist Michael Phelps threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

UP NEXT

RHP Aaron Nola (3-0, 0.96 ERA post-season) starts Monday for the Phillies and RHP Merrill Kelly (1-1, 3.00 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

David Brandt, The Associated Press