Diamondbacks Swept By Lowly Phillies
The Arizona Diamondbacks were swept in a three-game set by the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that currently resides in last place in the National League East. Arizona was swept for the third time this season and was outscored 17 to 8 in the series at Citizens Bank Park.
Game 1: Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 3
The first game featured Chad Billingsley on the mound (who just hit the DL again) for Philadelphia and Chase Anderson toeing the rubber for Arizona, and it also represented Arizona’s closest chance at a win in the series. After the offenses stalled for the first six innings of play, the Diamondbacks took a 3-1 lead on a Paul Goldschmidt two-run double in the seventh.
The victory was short-lived, however, as Freddy Galvis and Jeff Francoeur each singled in the bottom of the inning to drive in a combined three, which would prove to be enough. The Diamondbacks bullpen again failed to hold a lead, with Daniel Hudson, Oliver Perez, and Enrique Burgos struggling against one of the worst offenses in the league.
Game 2: Phillies 7, Diamondbacks 5
Archie Bradley returned for the second game of the series, but it was a tough go for the young right hander. Bradley lasted less than three innings, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks. Jerome Williams (who has an ERA over five on the season) held the Diamondbacks to two runs over five innings.
The Phillies totaled 13 hits over the course of the game, with six of those going for extra bases. At least Yasmany Tomas hit his first major league home run, right? Guys?
Game 3: Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 0
None of these games could really be described as “fun” for fans of Sedona Red, but the third game really wasn’t fun. It’s one thing to get out-slugged by a bad team; that happens once in a while over the course of a season. It’s another thing to out-slugged and shut out by Sean O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan is not a good pitcher. He had an ERA over six last year and has an ERA over five this year. The Diamondbacks had their chances, but couldn’t push a run across the plate against a guy who hadn’t won since 2011. He got a win.
The Phillies swept the Diamondbacks for their first sweep in 20 series and are now 31-16 against Arizona since 2008. The Diamondbacks suffered their fourth straight loss and their seventh in nine games.
There has been a bit of optimism around this year’s Diamondbacks team; their ability to hit the ball, combined with the emergence of Archie Bradley and the eventual return of Patrick Corbin, have made them an interesting team to keep an eye on. It’s series like this one that can make a team uninteresting.
If the Snakes want to have even the slightest chance of hanging around in the West, they have to beat up on teams that are worst than them. The Phillies are that kind of team, and Arizona will now need to rack up some wins against the Marlins, Cubs, and Cardinals if they want to keep up with the rest of the division.
The Diamondbacks and Marlins kick off a four-game series Monday at 4:10 PM in Miami.