PHOENIX (AP) - Chris Herrmann’s quick reflexes behind the plate and his bat came up big for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The catcher delivered the game’s key play, lunging to his right to grab a wide throw from third baseman Jake Lamb while dragging a foot onto home plate for a force out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Reliever Archie Bradley then struck out the next hitter, and the Diamondbacks cruised to a 9-2 win.
Herrmann also drove in three runs, Lamb homered and Daniel Descalso had three hits to lead Arizona.
“I don’t really know how to describe what was going through my head,” Herrmann said. “The athleticism just kind of takes over in our bodies and we just kind of react, and cool things happen.”
The Diamondbacks broke open a one-run game with three runs in the sixth and got another effective pitching performance from Robbie Ray (8-3), who allowed two runs and six hits through 6 1/3 innings.
Ray is 6-0 over his last seven starts with a 1.31 ERA in that span. He had five strikeouts and four walks.
“He was effective with all of his pitches at all times. I know there were a few walks,” manager Torey Lovullo said of Ray. “Overall it was a really good outing.”
Phillies starter Ben Lively (1-2) hit a two-run home run for his first career RBIs, but gave up four earned runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
“I was pretty pumped up about that, and after that I kind of stayed a little bit too pumped up,” Lively said.
In the seventh, Aaron Altherr greeted Bradley with a smash to third base. Lamb fielded and threw up the first base side to home plate, but Herrmann got the force and prevented an error.
Bradley struck out Tommy Joseph to end the inning.
“If the ball gets by him, I think two runs score and we’re talking about a whole different situation,” Lovullo said.
The Diamondbacks scored their runs in the sixth on Lamb’s 17th homer of the season, Herrmann’s RBI single off reliever Hoby Milner and David Peralta being hit by a pitch from Milner with the bases loaded.
Milner made his major league debut.
Arizona added three more runs in the seventh, all with two outs. Herrmann’s double just avoided being touched by a fan who reached over the right-field fence as the ball caromed, and two runs scored. Herrmann came home on Nick Ahmed’s pinch-hit double.
Peralta and Brandon Drury drove in two runs each for the Diamondbacks. The crowd of 40,557 on Star Wars Night was the largest at Chase Field since the home opener.
ADVENTURES WITH ODUBEL
Another night, another adventure with Phillies OF Odubel Herrera.
Herrera missed a catchable ball in the second inning, the result being the three-base error that led to the game’s first run. Friday night, Herrera appeared to misplay a ball hit toward him in center field, and in games Wednesday and Thursday, he committed baserunning blunders that led to questions as to why he wasn’t benched for a night.
Herrera was picked off by Ray to end the top of the sixth, and removed from the game on a double switch in the bottom of the inning.
“The only thing I can think of talking about is Lively’s two-run homer and the two great plays (Maikel) Franco made,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
BRACHO BACK AGAIN
The Diamondbacks called up reliever Silvino Bracho from Triple-A Reno on Saturday, a day after sending down OF Jeremy Hazelbaker. Bracho pitched the ninth inning.
Bracho is in his fifth stint with Arizona this season. With Randall Delgado moving out of his relief role to the starting rotation, the Diamondbacks sought bullpen help. “It made a lot of sense to get Bracho up here to pitch and do his job,” Lovullo said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: OF Yasmany Tomas took batting practice and tested his right groin injury by running the bases before Saturday’s game. When he will start playing in rehab games has yet to be determined. … OF A.J. Pollock (right groin strain) will play in a rehab game Sunday for Reno. Lovullo said he’d prefer Pollock to get at least 10 at-bats before being ready to return to the major league roster.
Phillies: OF-INF Howie Kendrick was in Saturday’s original lineup but was scratched as a precaution due to a tight hamstring. Kendrick did some running on the field hours before the game. … If RHP Jerad Eickhoff’s bullpen session Sunday goes well, he could return to the starting rotation next week. Eickhoff is on the 10-day DL with back discomfort.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-5, 4.61 ERA) faces Arizona for the fourth time in his career on Sunday. Hellickson is winless in three starts against the Diamondbacks.
Diamondbacks: RHP Delgado, back in the rotation for the moment, makes his fifth start of the season Sunday against the Phillies. He’s 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA this season.
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