PHILADELPHIA — At 8:09 p.m., the crowd fell silent. Throughout the evening, they had been hushed, taken aback by the remarkable performance of the Philadelphia Phillies starter, frustrated by their lineup’s futile at-bats, and annoyed by the audacity of their visitors, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Citizens Bank Park had witnessed many exhilarating moments this October, but none quite like this. The game ended at 8:09 p.m. with a disappointing 5-1 loss for the Phillies.
The Diamondbacks’ triumph in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series shattered the Phillies’ unbeaten streak at home in October and demolished their aura of invincibility in South Philadelphia. This sets the stage for an exciting showdown on Tuesday evening, as the two teams reconvene for a thrilling Game 7. Arizona would relish the opportunity to silence the passionate Phillies fans who have rallied behind their team in the past two Octobers.
The Phillies are just one victory away from clinching their second consecutive National League pennant, while the Diamondbacks are aiming to reach the World Series for the first time since their championship win in 2001. The starting pitchers for Game 7 will be Ranger Suarez for Philadelphia and Brandon Pfaadt for Arizona. Neither pitcher is expected to last long, so the depth of each team’s roster will be put to the test.
In Monday’s game, Arizona scored three runs against Phillies starter Aaron Nola in the second inning. Nola gave up another run in the fifth and was taken out of the game before completing the frame. On the other hand, Arizona starter Merrill Kelly limited the Phillies to just one run in five innings and struck out eight batters. The Diamondbacks’ relievers didn’t allow any Phillies players to advance to second base.
Prior to the game, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo adopted a defiant attitude, insisting that his team would not back down. He boldly declared, “We didn’t travel across the country to get beaten.” The Diamondbacks had already swept two division winners, the Brewers and the Dodgers, to reach this stage. Their resilience was evident in their two victories at Chase Field, which kept the series alive.
The pitching matchup was a rematch of Philadelphia’s dominant 10-0 victory in Game 2: Nola for the Phillies and Kelly for the Diamondbacks. In the first inning, Nola recorded three strikeouts and allowed only one hit. In the bottom of the first, Kelly deliberately walked Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, choosing caution over confrontation with the Phillies’ most formidable hitters, but he successfully navigated his way out of trouble.
For the first time in this series, Arizona struck first. Lovullo had replaced veteran Tommy Pham with Pavin Smith in Game 5, but after Smith failed to produce a hit, Pham was reinstated. Lovullo confidently stated, “Tommy Pham is Tommy Pham, right? He’s a professional hitter.” Pham lived up to his reputation in his first at-bat in the second inning. He smashed a 2-2 curveball over the left-field fence to break the deadlock.
The next batter didn’t offer any respite for Nola. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. took advantage of a 90.6-mph sinker and launched a solo home run. Nola had only allowed two runs in his previous three postseason starts, but he had already given up two runs in just two at-bats in this game. And his troubles didn’t end there.
Alek Thomas, the hero of Game 4, drew a walk on four pitches. Evan Longoria, the veteran third baseman, recorded only his second hit of the series in the following at-bat. Longoria blasted a belt-high fastball into the left-center gap, allowing Thomas to score easily and cruising into second base himself. Nola managed to prevent further damage, but the Phillies found themselves in a 3-0 deficit at the end of the inning.
The sudden flurry of runs momentarily silenced the crowd, but their silence was short-lived. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto ignited the offense with a leadoff double in the bottom of the second. Brandon Marsh then brought Realmuto home with an RBI single to right field. Kelly walked Schwarber for the second time but escaped the inning unscathed thanks to a groundout from shortstop Trea Turner.
Nola didn’t allow another hit until rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll overcame him in an eight-pitch battle with a single. Carroll didn’t stay at first base for long. Two pitches later, second baseman Ketel Marte crushed a fastball into the right-field corner for an RBI triple, driving in Carroll. Nola’s night ended there, and Michael Lorenzen made his first appearance of the series in relief. Lorenzen managed to strand Marte at third base, inducing a groundout from catcher Gabriel Moreno. After walking first baseman Christian Walker, Lorenzen reached back for a powerful 95.3 mph fastball and struck out Pham.
Kelly refused to be intimidated by his opponents. After surrendering three home runs in Game 2, he bounced back in Game 6, shutting down the Phillies’ offense. In their third encounter in the fifth inning, Kelly struck out Schwarber with a well-placed curveball. The inning came to an end when Harper swung and missed another curve. Kelly’s final pitch count was 90, and he didn’t throw another curveball for the rest of the evening. Manager Lovullo turned to his bullpen at the start of the sixth inning.
The Diamondbacks’ relievers held their ground, extending their lead to four runs when Phillies rookie Orion Kerkering struggled in his third consecutive appearance, allowing Marte to drive in an additional run with a single in the seventh inning. The Phillies had a chance to rally in the bottom of the inning when a leadoff single by Marsh injected some energy into the crowd. However, their hopes were quickly dashed. Schwarber hit into a fielder’s choice and replaced Marsh at first base. When reliever Andrew Saalfrank threw a bouncing curveball, Schwarber attempted a steal to reach second base, but catcher Gabriel Moreno retrieved the ball and threw him out to end the inning.
Moments later, the lights in the stadium went out, and Guns n’ Roses’ iconic “Welcome To The Jungle” blared over the loudspeakers. As former closer Craig Kimbrel walked onto the field, he was greeted with resounding jeers from the crowd. Kimbrel’s struggles in Game 3 and Game 4 had allowed the Diamondbacks to prolong the series. Now, all that remains is a thrilling Game 7.
The Phillies won 90 games during the regular season, while the Diamondbacks were victorious in 84 games. Neither team posed a serious threat to their division rivals in the latter half of the season. However, both teams found their rhythm at the right moment, delivering impressive performances and reaching this decisive series. Philadelphia will have the advantage of playing Game 7 at home, but Arizona has proven that they have what it takes to make the crowd go silent.
(Photo: Eric Hartline / USA Today)
