Diamondbacks top Phils, gain ground in wild card race
PHOENIX (AP) Zac Gallen threw five scoreless innings and helped himself with a run-scoring sacrifice bunt in his Arizona debut, leading the Diamondbacks to a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.
Gallen (2-3) allowed just one hit with three walks and six strikeouts, lowering his earned run average to 2.40. The right-hander who came over in a trade with the Miami Marlins on July 31 also picked up his first career RBI in the fourth inning thanks to Nick Ahmed's base running.
Ahmed was halfway down the third base line when Gallen bunted to third, and the Phillies' Scott Kingery threw to first base for the out instead of running Ahmed back to third. Ahmed took off as soon as the ball was thrown and scored easily, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-0 lead.
The Phillies were held to five hits, including Bryce Harper's solo home run in the ninth inning, and have lost three of four.
Losing pitcher Jason Vargas (6-6) was charged with four runs on four hits in five innings. He hit two batters and walked three.
Eduardo Escobar raised his major league-leading RBI total to 93 with a third-inning sacrifice fly. Ketel Marte scored on the play, beating the throw home from center field on a shallow fly ball.
The Diamondbacks scored twice in the third, David Peralta's single plating Carson Kelly for the first run. Kelly added an RBI single in the Diamondbacks' two-run fourth.
Ahmed scored on a Jean Segura throwing error and Jarrod Dyson raced home on Marte's two-out single in the eighth.
Marte reached base four times, had two hits and stole a base, and is batting .471 (41-for-87) in his last 23 home games. A night after committing three errors, the Diamondbacks turned three double plays.
Harper's third home run in 18 games was his 20th of the season.
HOLLAND DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT
Relief pitcher Greg Holland, a three-time All-Star who led the National League in saves in 2017 with 41, was designated for assignment Wednesday by the Diamondbacks.
Holland has 17 saves in 22 chances, but saw his ERA climb from 2.33 at the end of June to its current number.
The 33-year-right-hander has allowed at least one earned run in seven of his last 13 appearances. He lost his closer's job after a blown save on July 26 and is the second D-backs reliever to be designated for assignment this week after Zack Godley on Aug. 5.
Godley was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays.
''It was the command, not being able to land big pitches or get big outs at times,'' Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said before Wednesday's game. ''We took the role away from him, we thought it would take some pressure off him but it didn't get better.''
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Utility player Blake Swihart was reinstated from the 60-day injured list with the Holland move. Swihart missed more than two months after being placed on the injured list with a strained right oblique June 1.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (10-2, 3.60 ERA) goes for the Phillies in the opener of a four-game series with the San Francisco Giants Thursday. Giants star Madison Bumgarner is listed as his counterpart.
Diamondbacks: After an off day Thursday, LHP Robbie Ray (10-7, 4.03) is set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
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