Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs to highlight the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-3 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon.
Taijuan Walker (1-2) bounced back after a rough first inning to get the Phillies through five frames. He gave up two runs – both in the first – on four hits and two walks, striking out six to help Philadelphia snap a three-game slide.
Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered for Arizona, which had won five of its previous six games. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs – three earned – and five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six.
Arizona got off to a great start, as Marte hit Walker’s third pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field for a 1-0 lead.
Corbin Carroll followed with a walk and advanced on a groundout. The next hitter was Del Castillo, who delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Philadelphia went down quietly against Pfaadt in the first and second innings before an error by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to a four-run rally in the third.
After Alec Bohm reached on Perdomo’s miscue, Justin Crawford singled and Trea Turner struck out. Pfaadt then tried to get a 1-0 changeup past Schwarber, who launched it into the seats in right field to put the hosts ahead.
Two pitches later, Harper sent a fastball into the Phillies’ bullpen in right-center, making it 4-2.
Schwarber’s fourth home run and Harper’s third of the season proved to be enough support for Walker, who induced a double play to get through the fifth.
Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado combined to get through the sixth and seventh innings.
Brad Keller ran into some two-out trouble in the eighth, as he allowed a walk and two hits – including Jose Fernandez’s single that sliced Arizona’s deficit to 4-3. However, Keller struck out Nolan Arenado with the tying run on third base to end the inning.
Jhoan Duran had no issues in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his fifth save.
