LDN - Sports

Diamondbacks score early to sweep Phillies

[June 21, 2016] PHILADELPHIA -- In winning the first three of a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Arizona Diamondbacks took until the middle innings to seize control.

For Monday's series finale, they got everything they needed right up front.

The Diamondbacks scored three runs before Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson could even get an out and rode those runs all the way to a 3-1 win and a four-game series sweep over the Phillies.

It's the first series sweep for Arizona (33-39) since winning three in Atlanta from May 6-8 and only their third sweep of the season -- all on the road.

"Any time you sweep a team, especially four games, it's huge," Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb said. "Pitching was great and the hitting, obviously, was unreal with all the home runs and everything. It was fun to be out there."

For the Phillies (30-41), their seventh loss in a row matches a season high and drops the club to season-worst 11 games under .500.

"Terrible homestand," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We lost that game in the first inning."

The damage was done on exactly 10 pitches: three for a Jean Segura double, two for a Phil Gosselin RBI single to score the second baseman and five for a Jake Lamb home run to bring home Gosselin.

Hellickson (4-6, 4.41 ERA) settled down after that, allowing only two hits over the next six innings. But as been the Phillies' problem all season, he couldn't get any offense to bail him out -- the Phillies' 3.1 runs per game are the fewest in the majors.

"Giving up three is big," Hellickson said. "If I would've put a zero, we win 1-0."

Philadelphia's only offense came in the bottom of the second inning when Tyler Goeddel picked up his 12th RBI with a double to score Andres Blanco.

Other than that it was another nearly-silent day for an offense that's been the worst in the majors and doesn't have a clear fix in sight.

The Phillies have managed to score four runs off an opposing starter only three times all season, each of which came against the Brewers. They haven't scored more than three runs in any game during their currently losing streak.

"It's hard to stay patient," Mackanin said. "I'm not giving up. Alternative is to give up or not fight ... on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm a 9 in frustration."

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Arizona starter Shelby Miller (2-6, 6.36 ERA) went 6 2/3 innings in his return from a right index finger sprain that sent him to the 15-day disable list, giving up five hits and the one earned run, striking out five and walking one.

After losing four of his five May starts before heading to the disabled list, Miller looked much more like the pitcher who had a 3.02 ERA at Atlanta last season.

"We did a really good job of getting ahead in counts and just staying ahead," he said. "Didn't really have to fall back too much or try to make up pitches by throwing strikes, we got guys out outside of the zone, which was nice. It's nice to be back up here and we're winning some games, so it's going good."

Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler allowed two runners in the ninth inning but got a double play and strikeout for his 15th save of the season.

Lamb's home run was his second of the series, sixth of the month and 14th of the season, in only 230 at-bats.

In his first 476 major league at-bats between 2014-15, the 25-year-old corner infielder had hit just 10 homers. Now, Lamb is on the doorstep of being in the top 10 in the National League in that category.

"My timing feels really good, just constantly working on timing," he said. "That's what I've been doing the whole year, whether I feel good or bad at the plate, just making sure that timing is locked in."

NOTES: With a 5-1 win on Sunday, Arizona secured its first series win in Philadelphia since a sweep from May 28-30, 2007. The Phillies had won the previous eight series at Citizens Bank Park, going 19-5 in those games. ... Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt entered play on Monday with a 13-game hitting streak that is the longest active hitting streak in the majors. ... The Phillies are headed on a nine-game road trip starting Tuesday, with three games at Minnesota (June 21-23), San Francisco (June 24-26) and Arizona (June 27-29). The Diamondbacks travel to Toronto (June 21-22) and Colorado (June 23-26) before hosting the Phillies. ... After Sunday's loss, the Phillies claimed RHP Phil Klein off waivers from the Texas Rangers and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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