The Arizona Diamondbacks have forced Game 7 in the NLCS after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on the road, 5-1, Monday night. With their backs against the wall after dropping Game 5 over the weekend, the Diamondbacks wasted no time getting after Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who has been nails throughout the postseason. It was Tommy Pham, who was publicly frustrated that he wasn’t in the lineup for Game 5, getting the D-Backs on the board first in the game.
That hit sparked something in the Arizona dugout as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. launched one to left on the next at-bat – both Gurriel and Pham hit their second homers of the postseason. After an Alek Thomas walk, 38-year-old Evan Longoria roped a double that scored the speedy outfielder to run up the score quickly to 3-0 without an out recorded by the Phillies in the second.
Philadelphia would bounce back in the bottom frame, though, as J.T. Realmuto led off with a double and Brandon Marsh singled him home to get the Phillies on the board, 3-1. That run, though, is all Merrill Kelly and the rest of the Arizona pitching staff would allow to a tough Phillies lineup at home. Kelly has been someone who the D-Backs have leaned on all season long, making him the perfect starter in a must-win game to keep the year alive.
Game 7 will surely have Citizens Bank Park in a frenzy Tuesday night when Ranger Suarez will get the ball for the Phillies while Brandon Pfaadt gets it for the D-Backs. Everyone, though, will be available to make sure their team punches a ticket to the World Series.