Peralta powers Diamondbacks past Phillies

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[August 12, 2015]  PHOENIX -- Arizona left fielder David Peralta continued the best run of his career with a five-RBI game Tuesday, helped by a very short memory.

"I had a bad at-bat the first time," said Peralta, who grounded out to shortstop with a runner in scoring position in the first inning, "and I was like, 'Forget about it. Just get them next time.'"

Peralta's opposite field grand slam homer in his next plate appearance was the big blow in an 11-run second inning as the Diamondbacks rolled to a 13-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field.

"As soon as I hit the ball, I knew it was gone," said Peralta, who has 11 homers. "It feels good when you do something to help the team win. We're doing really well right now, and we just want to keep doing it."

Peralta had a five-hit game Sunday and has 10 hits and eight RBIs in his last 14 at-bats. His batting average to a season-high .301, and his 60 RBIs are second on the team behind first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's 81.
 


"David is hot right now," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "He's able to hit for power the other way, which with his strength he should be able to do."

Second baseman Aaron Hill homered and singled in the second inning, one of four Diamondbacks with two hits in the second. All were off right-hander David Buchanan (2-7), who was charged with 11 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Arizona shortstop Chris Owings had two doubles, right fielder Yasmany Tomas had a double and a single and right-hander Jeremy Hellickson had two run-scoring singles, driving in three.

Hill and center fielder A.J. Pollock had three hits and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia had his fourth homer as the Diamondbacks (56-56) reached .500 for the second time since April 24. They were 42-42 on July 8.

Arizona scored 13 runs in a row for the second straight game for the first time since September, 2001, when they scored 15 and 13 in consecutive games against Milwaukee.

"There is a confidence when you hit," Hale said. "It's like when we pitch well for a bunch of games. When guys start to hit, the other guys feel good about it. They are getting a lot of at-bats instead of waiting a half-hour, 45 minutes for their next at-bat. It's just contagious."

Second baseman Chase Utley and catcher Cameron Rupp had two hits for the Phillies (45-69), who have been outscored 26-4 in the first two games of the series.

Despite the two straight losses, the Phillies are 16-7 since the All-Star break, tied with St. Louis for the best record in the NL.

Philadelphia third baseman and NL rookie of the year candidate Maikel Franco left the game after being struck in the left wrist by a pitch in the first inning. X-rays were negative, the Phillies said.

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"We'll see if it will feel better tomorrow." Franco said. "When the ball hit me I thought it was broken."

Hellickson pitched eight innings for the first time since May 23, 2013, giving up one unearned run and seven hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Owings drove in two runs with a bases-loaded double to start the scoring in the second inning, when the Diamondbacks sent 15 batters to the plate. Hellickson followed with a two-run single before Peralta cleared the bases with his 11th homer of the season. It was 8-1.

"Once the game started the ball was elevated, and that's when you get hurt," Buchanan said. "Try to keep pitching, try to get guys out, but the ball was elevated and I had to get the ball down."

Hill hit his fifth homer later in the inning, and Saltalamacchia homered in the sixth.

NOTES: Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt had his 382nd RBI Monday, breaking a tie with original Diamondback and Washington manager Matt Williams for fifth in franchise history. Luis Gonzalez (774) holds the franchise record. ... With 24 intentional walks, Goldschmidt tied Gonzalez's franchise record set in 2001. ... Philadelphia 3B Maikel Franco's home run to dead center field at Chase Field on Monday was measured at 455 feet, the longest Phillies' homer since Jim Thome's 459-footer at Minnesota on June 14, 2012. Franco's homered into a cutout where cameras are stationed in the batter's eye. ... Arizona's Chris Owings made his seventh start of the season at shortstop to give starter Nick Ahmed a day off. Owings is the primary backup after INF Cliff Pennington was traded to Toronto. ... Philadelphia RF Domonic Brown (stomach illness) was held out.

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