Diamondbacks at Phillies
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies didn't wait until next month to participate in the Home Run Derby, as the former belted a franchise-best eight and the teams combined for 13 to set a Major League Baseball record in the series opener. The Diamondbacks aim to continue their recent mastery in Philadelphia on Tuesday when they play the second contest of the three-game set versus the Phillies.
Ildemaro Vargas and Eduardo Escobar each homered twice, with the latter highlighting his four-hit performance by driving in five RBIs in Arizona's 13-8 victory on Monday. Ketel Marte pushed his career-high homer total to 16 after going deep for the second straight day, and has seven blasts, 15 RBIs and 17 runs scored in his last 17 games. While the Diamondbacks have won five in a row overall and 10 of their last 11 contests in the City of Brotherly Love, the Phillies have lost seven of their last 11 games to fall into a first-place tie with Atlanta in the National League East. Scott Kingery recorded his first career multi-homer performance and added a triple to improve to 12-for-38 with seven extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple, three homers) in his last 10 games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Jon Duplantier (1-0, 3.27 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jake Arrieta (5-5, 4.29)
Duplantier appears to be getting more comfortable at the major-league level, striking out a personal-best seven and allowing just two runs on three hits in five innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. "I felt like my rhythm was really good. Timing was something that was working for me and was consistent the whole outing, save a few batters," the 24-year-old said. Duplantier will be making his first appearance on the road since a three-inning stint at San Diego on April 1.
Arrieta's strong start to the season quickly has become yesterday's news, as the 2015 NL Cy Young Award recipient owns a 1-3 mark with a 5.45 ERA in his last six outings. The 33-year-old was taken deep twice among the five runs he allowed in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision at the Padres on Wednesday. Arrieta has permitted nine homers in his last six trips to the mound (34 2/3 innings), although he has not been taken deep by any member of the Diamondbacks' roster.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia OF Jay Bruce, who was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday, has five homers since being acquired from Seattle.
2. Arizona has 28 homers in its last 11 games at Citizens Bank Park.
3. Phillies pitchers have surrendered an NL-most 108 homers this season and are nearly halfway to their franchise record of 221, set in 2017.