PHOENIX (AP) - A diving catch to save a run. A pickoff at second base. Rounding a base at just the right angle. A 12-pitch walk followed by the winning hit.
Even when they’re not at their best, the Arizona Diamondbacks are making the right plays at the right time to keep the best start in franchise history rolling.
Daniel Descalso lined a run-scoring single in the 11th inning and the Diamondbacks overcame the fatigue of playing late the night before to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Sunday.
“I know there were some sluggish moments, but when we needed somebody to give us that little push at the end, Descalso came up with the big hit,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “There were a lot of key moments.”
The Diamondbacks and Phillies played late Saturday and neither team could muster much against the other’s starting pitcher.
Randall Delgado pitched five crisp innings in a spot start for Arizona and Jeremy Hellickson had the Diamondbacks baffled with his off-speed pitches for most of his six innings.
Arizona scored on Paul Goldschmidt’s run-scoring single in the fourth inning - with an assist to Nick Ahmed’s base running - and pinch hitter Howie Kendrick blooped a run-scoring single off Archie Bradley in the seventh.
The Diamondbacks had a chance to win it in the ninth, but Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera made a leaping catch on Descalso’s drive to the wall to end the inning.
Descalso got another chance in the 11th.
After T.J. McFarland (4-1) worked around a walk in the top half, Goldschmidt hit a single off Edubray Ramos (0-7) with two outs. Chris Owings fought his way through a 12-pitch at-bat, laying off the final slider to earn a walk.
Descalso then lined the first pitch he saw through the right side and Goldschmidt scored just ahead of the throw, sending the Diamondbacks rushing out onto the field.
Arizona has won 11 of 13 and is 48-28 overall.
“You just have that feeling that something good is going to happen,” Owings said of late-game situations. “Ever since this season has started, you have that vibe in the dugout, you’re waiting for something good to happen.”
Delgado has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, earning Sunday’s start to give the regular rotation guys an extra day of rest.
The right-hander escaped a jam in the second inning, helped by left fielder Gregor Blanco’s diving catch on Herrera’s liner and a pickoff of Maikel Franco at second.
Delgado allowed four hits and struck out four, helping to hold the Phillies in check.
“Once again not enough offense,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. “We have to put some crooked numbers up there and we haven’t been doing it.”
Hellickson had the Diamondbacks swinging over the top of breaking balls until Goldschmidt lined a run-scoring single through the left side in the fourth inning. That pushed his RBI total to a majors-best 65 and extended his club record of reaching base at home to 41 straight games.
Hellickson kept Arizona guessing after that, striking out seven while allowing three hits. He did not have a walk after issuing 22 in his previous 10 starts combined.
“Hellickson was really good today,” Mackanin said. “He really used that changeup extremely well.”
CLUTCH DESCALSO
Descalso has a knack for coming up with big plays at big moments throughout his career and has already come through several times in his first season in the desert.
Even after being robbed of a potential game-winning hit in the ninth, he kept grinding away. The walkoff hit was his second with Arizona and fourth of his career.
“He’s always engaged and that comes through experience,” Lovullo said. “He’s had some big at-bats on big platforms for many, many years and you can always count on his best effort.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Kendrick did not start after being scratched from Saturday’s lineup because of a tight hamstring.
Diamondbacks: CF A.J. Pollock went 0 for 2 in four innings of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno as he works his way back from a pair of leg injuries.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Nick Pivetta will start the series finale against the Diamondbacks on Monday after striking out a career-high 10 against St. Louis in his previous start.
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke is 4-0 with a 2.86 ERA in his past four home starts heading into Monday.
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