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 Second baseman Hill doubled, homered and drove in three runs when
the Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to a season-long
three games with a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at
Chase Field
"I think it just took the tension off him," D-backs manager Kirk
Gibson said of Hill, who capped his four-hit game Wednesday with a
game-winning, two-run double in the ninth inning of a 7-5 victory
over the Cubs.
"He's much more comfortable up there and he's having much better
at-bats and impacting the ball better."
Hill's two-run homer in the fourth inning off Roberto Hernandez
(1-1) broke a scoreless tie. He doubled in the final run during a
two-run fifth for a 4-0 lead to help right-hander Josh Collmenter
(1-2) to his first home victory as a starter since July 27, 2002.
"He's got such a good sinker. You just to hope you get something
up," said Hill, hitting .241.
"Obviously it's no fun when you are not producing as you can, but
you have to keep in mind that hard work is going to pay off. It's a
long season. It's tough, but you always have to believe you are
going to come through."
Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock had two hits, including a
bases-empty homer in the eighth.
Arizona right-hander Addison Reed gave up shortstop Jimmy Rollins'
two-out RBI single in the ninth and intentionally walked second
baseman Chase Utley after Rollins stole second before striking out
John Mayberry Jr. for his third save in as many days.
He'll probably be toast for tomorrow, but when you have a chance to
win the game, you have to go get it," Gibson said of using Reed.
Catcher Miguel Montero walked to open the Arizona fourth before Hill
homered to left-center field, his second homer of the season.
The Diamondbacks scored two two-out runs in the fifth. Gerardo Parra
singled, stole second with out and moved to third on a groundout
before Paul Goldschmidt's RBI singled to right. After another
Montero walk, Hill doubled to left-center to make it 4-0.
The D-backs (8-18) won their second game in 11 at Chase Field, the
other coming April 1.
"It's been brutal the last month," Hill said. "Nothing has felt like
it has gone our way. It's just been one of those months, but it
doesn't stop guys from coming in every single day knowing today is a
new day. The last three games have been a blast."
The Phillies scored three runs in the seventh off Joe Thatcher and
Randall Delgado to close the gap to 4-3. They loaded the bases on
one-out singles by Marlon Byrd, Domonic Brown and Carlos Ruiz before
Delgado walked Cody Asche to force in a run. Shortstop Cliff
Pennington's fielding error with the bases loaded enabled the final
two runners to score.
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"It would have been nice to score earlier," Phillies manager Ryne
Sandberg said. "We scored late, then ran out of innings to play." Rollins, Revere, Byrd and Brown had two hits apiece for the
Phillies (11-12), who had won four of their last five.
Collmenter gave up four hits, all singles, while throwing 98 pitches
in six innings. The Phillies got only one runner as far as second
base against him.
"That guy kind of has a funky delivery and he hit his spots,"
Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard said. "He had a game plan and
stuck to it."
NOTES: Diamondbacks LF Mark Trumbo (left foot) said he was told to
expect to miss six weeks with the stress fracture in the third
metatarsal in his left foot. Trumbo, injured Monday, wore a walking
boot with an electric simulation device attached in the clubhouse
before the game. ... Tony Campana started in left field for Arizona
on Friday, but OF Cody Ross is expected to get the bulk of time in
left, manager Kirk Gibson said. Ross returned from the disabled list
on April 18. ... The Diamondbacks staged what is believed to be the
first "zombie night" in major league history in conjunction with
producers of the AMC television show "The Walking Dead." The team
sold 1,000 ticket packages that included a T-shirt, a mini-bat, a
pregame parade around the warning track and haunted maze that
included a face-painting station behind the center-field scoreboard.
Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett had his face painted before the game.
The Diamondbacks posted a picture on their Twitter feed. ... Arizona
LHP Oliver Perez was forced to remove his sleeves after retiring the
first batter of the eighth inning after Philadelphia manager Ryne
Sandberg complained. The sleeves were not the same length, and one
was torn at the end. "Supposed to be the same length, same color,
and it can't be flapping," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. Perez
gave up a hit to 1B Ryan Howard before being replaced.
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