The Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park 5-4. Arizona slugged three early home runs and the pitching was good enough to make it stand. Jordan Montgomery recorded his fifth quality start of the season, picking up his sixth win of the season. The Diamondbacks executed in enough key situations late to win.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Diamondbacks strike early against Taijuan Walker
As is customary in their recent wins, the Diamondbacks established a big lead early. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. opened the scoring with a solo home run, turning on an inside fastball to hit a drive down the left field line that stayed fair.
They tacked on three more runs in the third. Corbin Carroll led off the inning with a walk, then stole second to set up the inning. Gabriel Moreno and Joc Pederson followed with back-to-back home runs to center to make it 4-0. With a big lead early, it allowed the Diamondbacks to play downhill the rest of the game and withstand a furious rally late by the Phillies.
Jordan Montgomery turns in third solid start in a row
Jordan Montgomery entered this start allowing four runs (three earned) in his last 10 2/3 innings. He continued the trend against the Phillies, allowing just two runs in six innings.
Montgomery’s lone mistake came in the fourth, leaving a sinker out over the plate for Trea Turner. Turner crushed a home run that cut the Diamondbacks lead in half.
Another key situation for the veteran left-hander came in the sixth. Following a leadoff double to Bryce Harper, Montgomery kept him from scoring. He got some help from Jake McCarthy, who made a leaping catch to rob Alec Bohm of extra bases. A strikeout and a flyout kept Philadelphia off the scoreboard.
With the Diamondbacks’ rotation missing their top three starters, Montgomery has stepped up to keep the team afloat. As the rotation gets healthier, Arizona could have a chance to make a run in the second half.
Blaze Alexander’s late heroics the difference
Blaze Alexander turned in two key plays late in the ball game that might have gone unnoticed. With Joe Mantiply stuck in a bases-loaded jam, Trea Turner hit a hard ground ball to Alexander’s left that he had to make a diving stop. A bobble prevented him from getting an out on the play, but he kept the ball on the infield. That proved to be crucial, as Harper tapped the next pitch to the mound for a 1-2-3 double play.
Following up the good defensive play he created a run the following inning. He hit a one-out single, then stole second on a close play. Philadelphia challenged, but replay confirmed the call. Geraldo Perdomo capitalized on the opportunity, ripping a single into right field to score Alexander. That ended up being a crucial insurance run, as Nick Castellanos launched a solo home run in the following inning to cut the lead to one run.
Diamondbacks suffer costly injuries
Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Tucker Barnhart replacing him behind the plate. The Diamondbacks later announced a sprained left thumb for Moreno.
Gabriel Moreno exited tonight's game with a sprained left thumb.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 22, 2024
Moreno was 2-for-3 in the game, hitting a single in the first inning and a two-run home run in the third against Taijuan Walker. It appeared he injured the thumb attempting to avoid a tag when he overslid second base. After getting tagged out by Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa, Moreno looked at his left hand.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grimaced and grabbed his left arm after striking out in the seventh. He stayed in for one more inning, but was replaced by Randal Grichuk. The Diamondbacks are saying Gurriel has a sore left elbow.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. exited tonight’s game due to Left elbow soreness.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 22, 2024
Next Game
The Diamondbacks will try to take the series against the Phillies. They’ll face a tough customer, as Zack Wheeler (8-4, 2.84 ERA) takes the mound for Philadelphia. Arizona will counter with left-hander Tommy Henry (2-2, 6.23 ERA). First pitch at Citizens Bank Park will be at 1:05 P.M. MST.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
