D-backs power past Phillies for 8th straight series win
PHILADELPHIA -- The Arizona Diamondbacks keep on rolling.
Jarrod Dyson, Nick Ahmed and David Peralta homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks earned an 8-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
The Diamondbacks have won their first eight series of the season, becoming the first National League club to do so since the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977. The Seattle Mariners won each of their first nine series of the season in 2001 on their way to 116 wins.
"It's a good feeling to know that we're having success," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "It's a byproduct of us doing what we are supposed to do."
The Diamondbacks improved to 17-7, matching the best 24-game start in franchise history. Arizona also went 17-7 in 2008.
.@mrzoombiya's been doing some serious phlexing this week in Philly. #GenerationDbacks pic.twitter.com/4zFJBFVPoF
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 26, 2018
"We're just taking it one game at a time," said Dyson, who hit his second homer of the series in the first inning.
"We're not looking too far ahead. We're worried about who we are facing right here and now and not looking behind us."
Philadelphia missed a chance to win its fourth consecutive home series to start the season.
"I learned how resilient we are," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. "I also learned the Diamondbacks are a good club. There's a really good lineup over there.
"There's a very athletic defense on the infield and in the outfield. It's challenging middle of the lineup. If you don't have your best stuff, they're going to punish you and they did today."
Dyson hit a two-run homer in the first and Chris Owings added an RBI double off Ben Lively (0-2) to give the Diamondbacks a 3-0 lead.
"I get lucky every now and then," Dyson said. "I don't go up there to hit bombs. I want to hit more line drives. Sometimes, you get a good pitch."
Arizona added five runs in the third inning on Ahmed's three-run homer and Peralta's two-run shot. Peralta's shot was off reliever Drew Hutchinson.
Lively allowed seven runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings.
6 innings of 2-run ball, an #SCTop10 play on the mound, his first @MLB hit, and most importantly, a W.@Mattykoch20 is having a pretty great Thursday. pic.twitter.com/Xa2Rl0iAiS
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 26, 2018
Arizona provided plenty of run support for Matt Koch (1-0). He went six innings and allowed two runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Paul Goldschmidt went 3 for 5 with a run scored for Arizona.
For the Phillies, Aaron Altherr had an RBI double in the fourth and RBI groundout in the sixth. Odubel Herrera reached base safely in a career-high 26th straight game going back to the end of the 2017 season with a single in the sixth inning. Herrera went 2-for-4.
STATS
Peralta has multiple hits in nine of the 20 games he has played this season, including six multi-hit games out of 10 on the road. ... Altherr is 7-for-18 with two doubles a triple and a homer in his past five games with eight RBIs.
Phillies get on the board, but allow us to distract you with a #FreightTrain blast. pic.twitter.com/Kj461Dxjro
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 26, 2018
TRAINER'S ROOM
Shelby Miller is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Friday in Washington. Miller is on the 60-day disabled list following Tommy John surgery. Also, Jake Lamb began a light throwing program on Thursday in Arizona after being diagnosed with a right elbow tendinitis and a sprained left AC joint.
UP NEXT
Arizona begins a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. Zack Godley (3-1, 3.09 ERA) will face Washington's Stephen Strasburg (2-2, 2.97) in the opener on Friday night in D.C.