PHOENIX (AP) - A three-game winning streak isn’t much, but it sure feels good to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Josh Collmenter threw six scoreless innings, Aaron Hill drove in three runs with a homer and double and the Diamondbacks held on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 on Friday night.
Collmenter (1-2), in his third start since replacing Randall Delgado in the rotation, allowed four hits and struck out five. It’s the first time a Diamondbacks pitcher has gone six scoreless innings this season.
“Just to get a few wins in a row, just to kind of get our feet back under us and have something to build off us is big as well,” Collmenter said.
A.J. Pollock’s solo homer in the eighth provided what proved to be the deciding run for the Diamondbacks, who won at Chase Field for only the second time in 11 games this season.
After what Hill called a “brutal” month, the Diamondbacks are showing some signs of life. Hill in particular, his bat coming alive in Chicago where he was 4-for-5 with the game-winning triple in the ninth in a 7-5 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.
“Now I think a little bit of the pressure’s off,” Hill said. “We know that we’re a good team and we can play well and win games like this.”
The Phillies scored a run on two-out singles by Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins off Addison Reed in the ninth. Reed intentionally walked Chase Utley, then struck out John Mayberry Jr. for his sixth save - three in the last three days.
Collmenter has an unorthodox overhand delivery with a fastball that topped out at a mere 88 mph. But his location was superb, and he mixed in several curve balls, something he’s added to his repertoire.
“He was hitting both sides of the plate and stuck to his game plan,” the Phillies’ Ryan Howard said. “He hit spots. That was key. We had a couple of good swings on him but just couldn’t find any real estate.”
Roberto Hernandez (1-1) gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings, walking three and fanning five to take the loss.
Trailing 4-0, Philadelphia made it a one-run game in the seventh.
Carlos Ruiz’s single off Delgado loaded the bases, then Cody Asche walked to bring in a run. Pinch-hitter Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a sharp grounder that looked to be an inning-ending double play. But the usually sure-handed Pennington muffed it and two runs scored to cut the lead to 4-3.
Asche was called out trying to get back to second after Pennington’s error, but the Phillies challenged and the call was overturned. Revere hit into a fielder’s choice and, with runners at first and third, Rollins flew out to left to end the inning.
Arizona broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Hill slammed a 1-0 pitch into the seats in left-center.
The Diamondbacks added two in the fifth. Paul Goldschmidt’s opposite-field single to right brought Gerardo Parra home. Hernandez walked Montero, then Hill hit an RBI ground-rule double to almost the same spot as his homer in left-center and the Diamondbacks led 4-0.
With Arizona’s defense in a shift to the right, Howard singled to left off left-hander Oliver Perez with one out in the eighth. With Mayberry pinch running, Brad Ziegler came on and Byrd hit one sharply to left field, where Tony Campana was able to keep the ball from getting past him, saving a run in what Arizona manager Kirk Gibson called “the play of the game.”
Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said Mayberry should have taken third on the play.
“To me that is a first and third play,” Sandberg said. “It might have been a double by Byrd.”
The Phillies, who just won three of four against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, are 4-4 on their western trip.
Notes: Arizona LF Mark Trumbo said before the game that he was told his left foot stress fracture will sideline him for six weeks. … The Phillies send Cliff Lee (3-2, 3.09 ERA) to the mound Saturday night, while Arizona goes with struggling Bronson Arroyo (1-2, 9.50). … Byrd made a diving catch of Montero’s line drive in RF in the second. … In the eighth, Perez was told by the umpires to remove his undershirt because of a rip in the sleeve and one sleeve was longer than the other.
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