The Philadelphia Phillies take aim at a fourth straight win on Saturday when they continue a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia needed some dramatics to win the opener on Friday, as Chase Utley drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to lift the Phillies to a 4-3 victory.
Cody Asche smacked a pinch-hit single to right off of Heath Bell (4-2) to start the inning and Jimmy Rollins followed with a single to right to put runners at the corners. After Michael Young was issued a free pass, Kevin Frandsen struck out and Eury De La Rosa took over.
Utley worked the count full before taking a pitch inside for ball four and Asche trotted home for the win.
It was the third straight walk-off win for the Phillies as the team took the final two games of a four-game set against Colorado with a game-winning run in the ninth inning.
"Sometimes you don't see that in a month," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg about the walk-offs. "But this has been fun the past couple of days and it sounds like the fans have been enjoying it."
Darin Ruf hit a solo home run and Carlos Ruiz smoked a two-run double for the Phillies, who have won five of their last six games. Cole Hamels pitched seven innings in the start and gave up three runs on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Jonathan Papelbon (4-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
Martin Prado hit a two-run double and Matt Davidson added an RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who have lost four of their last five games. Wade Miley was charged with three runs on five hits over six innings in the start.
"I made some mistakes and just couldn't get the outs there when we needed them," said Miley. "That game was on my because I should have been able to get out of that sixth inning."
Getting the call for the Diamondbacks Randall Delgado, who is 4-4 with a 3.82 ERA. Delgado lost in Cincinnati on Monday, as the Reds reached him for five runs and seven hits in six innings.
Delgado is 0-1 in two starts versus the Phillies with a 2.77 ERA.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, will counter with righty Ethan Martin, who will be trying to string back-to-back wins together. Martin evened his record at 2-2 on Monday against Colorado, as he allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 frmaes to lower his ERA to 5.23.
"I felt like I was able to slow things down, be patient and just go at it," Martin said.
The Diamondbacks and Phillies split a four-game series in Arizona from May 9-12.
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