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NLCS: Thomas’ homer, Moreno’s decisive hit help D-backs top Phillies, even series

October 21, 2023

By DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer

PHOENIX — Alek Thomas hit a tying, two-run homer in a three-run eighth inning, Gabriel Moreno followed with a go-ahead single and the Arizona Diamondbacks stunned the Philadelphia Phillies with a 6-5 victory on Friday night that tied the National League Championship Series at two games apiece.

Arizona trailed 5-2 before Orion Kerkering’s bases-loaded walk to Christian Walker with two outs in the seventh.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled leading off the eighth against Craig Kimbrel, who gave up Ketel Marte’s game-ending single in Game 3. Thomas, pinch-hitting for Emmanuel Rivera with one out, sent a full-count fastball splashing into the right-center field swimming pool to tie the score at 5-5 as a sellout crowd of 47,806 at Chase Field roared.

Marte singled with two outs, Corbin Carroll was hit by a pitch and José Alvarado relieved. Moreno laced a single to left-center to drive in the go-ahead run for Arizona.

Kyle Schwarber, whose fourth-inning homer sparked Philadelphia’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit, doubled with two outs in the ninth off Paul Sewald, Arizona’s eighth pitcher. Sewald struck out Trea Turner for his fifth save of the postseason.

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday night.

Houston earlier scored three times in the ninth to win, 5-4, at Texas and take a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series. It was the first time in major league history two teams rallied to win postseason games on the same day after trailing by two runs or more in the eighth inning or later.

Arizona, in the postseason for the first time since 2017, lost the first two games of the series at Citizens Bank Park. The Diamondbacks built a two-run lead against the defending NL champions on run-scoring singles by Rivera in the second and Moreno in the third.

Schwarber’s homer was his fourth of this postseason and the 19th of his postseason career, passing Reggie Jackson for most among left-handed batters,

Brandon Marsh’s two-out RBI double tied the score in the fifth, and the Phillies opened a 4-2 lead in the sixth after three straight walks by rookie lefty Andrew Saalfrank.

Alec Bohm followed with a chopper down the third-base line off Ryan Thompson. Rivera gloved the ball with a backhand grab that took him into foul territory and made an off-balance throw home from near the coach’s box. The ball short-hopped Gabriel Moreno and bounced off the catcher as two runs scored, one on the hit and one on the throwing error.

Trea Turner added a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.

WEB GEM

Gurriel saved a potential extra-base hit in the second with a leaping catch at the left field wall after a drive by J.T. Realmuto.

ARIZONA ICONS

Former Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Three-time NBA All-Star Devin Booker was also in attendance, drawing a large cheer when he was pictured on the video board.

KEEPING IT COOL

The retractable roof at Chase Field was closed for Game 4 after temperatures spiked to a record 104 in Phoenix on Friday afternoon. The temperature at game time – 5:07 p.m. PT – was 102 outside, but it was a pleasant 76 in the climate-controlled ballpark.

The roof has been open at Chase Field just once this postseason. That was for Game 3 of the NL Division Series, when the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers, 4-2, on Oct. 11 for a three-game sweep.