On Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, the Arizona Diamondbacks avoided a sweep by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 11-9 in 10 innings. The game was full of momentum shifts, and both teams had chances to win. In the end, Arizona scored three runs in the top of the 10th and held on, snapping a rough stretch and handing Philadelphia its second loss in eight games.
At the start, the Phillies grabbed an early lead in the first inning, when Bryce Harper hit a solo home run to left field, making it 1-0. But Arizona answered back in the third inning. Facing Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, the Diamondbacks scored three runs. Geraldo Perdomo singled, then scored on a double. Corbin Carroll followed with a two-run single to make it 3-1.
Then, in the fourth inning, Arizona added four more runs. Jose Herrera hit a two-run double. Two more runs came in on RBI singles. By that point, the Diamondbacks were ahead 7-1, and that ended Suarez’s day. He was making his first start of the season after missing five weeks with a back injury. He threw 82 pitches over 3 2/3 innings. He gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out six. Though the results were not strong, his fastball and sinker velocity were in line with last season. His fastball reached 93.2 mph and averaged 91.5 mph.
Arizona’s starting pitcher, Eduardo Rodriguez, gave a solid performance. He went 5 1/3 innings, gave up four runs—three earned—on five hits and four walks, and struck out 10 batters. He left the game with a 7-4 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Phillies got one run back when Johan Rojas hit an RBI single. Then, in the sixth inning, Weston Wilson hit a three-run home run off Arizona reliever Juan Morillo. That cut the Diamondbacks’ lead to 8-7 and gave Philadelphia a real chance to complete the comeback.
In the top of the ninth, Arizona scored one more run to take an 8-6 lead. But the Phillies tied it in the bottom half. With two outs, Kyle Schwarber hit his 11th home run of the season, the most in the National League. His home run made it 8-7. Next, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto both singled. Alec Bohm hit a soft line drive to center to bring home the tying run, making it 8-8, and the game went to extra innings.
In the 10th, the Diamondbacks took the lead again. Josh Naylor, who was hitless the day before, delivered the go-ahead RBI single off Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado. After a walk, Tim Tawa hit a sacrifice fly to score another run. Then, with the bases loaded, Alvarado walked Perdomo to force in a third run, giving Arizona an 11-8 lead.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Phillies made one more push. Wilson singled to put runners on the corners. Max Kepler hit a sacrifice fly to make it 11-9. But when Trea Turner singled, it brought the winning run to the plate with one out. However, Jalen Beeks got Harper to fly out and Schwarber to ground out to end the game.
Perdomo finished the game 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Carroll also had two hits and three RBIs. Herrera went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Naylor’s single in the 10th was his only hit of the game, but it gave Arizona the lead. So far this season, Naylor is batting .306 with four home runs and 19 RBIs. He has at least one hit in 23 of 32 games and multiple hits in 11 games.
For the Phillies, Wilson had a big day. He went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer and another hit in the 10th. Harper and Schwarber each homered. Turner, Castellanos, and Realmuto all had key hits as well.
While Ranger Suarez struggled in his return, his velocity showed that his back injury may no longer be a concern. Last season, he posted a 3.46 ERA over 27 starts. He’ll likely need a few more outings to get back into form.
This win was important for Arizona, which had lost seven of its previous 10 games. It gave them a positive end to a tough series. The Phillies, who had won six of seven before this game, came close to a sweep but fell just short in extra innings. The Diamondbacks got the timely hits they needed, and their bullpen held on in a high-pressure situation.
In total, the game featured 20 runs, 26 hits, and five home runs. It showed both teams’ ability to score and fight back. For Arizona, it was a well-earned win after nearly giving it away. For Philadelphia, it was a missed opportunity in a game that had several turning points.
