Diamondbacks shock Phillies in NLCS Game 7, advance to first World Series since 2001

PHILADELPHIA − The Arizona Diamondbacks left a team re-evaluating its philosophy, a passionate fan base booing its beloved stars, and a national talk-show vowing retirement. 

And for the Diamondbacks’ latest trick, they are stuffing the National League pennant among their carry-on bags Wednesday afternoon when they depart for Arlington, Texas. 

They are going to the World Series to play the Texas Rangers. 

Really. 

The D-backs, coming to a place that has terrorized visitors, stunned the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, on Tuesday night, winning Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. 

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The sellout crowd of 45,397 at Citizens Bank Park stood in stunned silence most of the game, unable to fathom what they were seeing. 

This was a team that terrorized the D-backs the last time they were in town, winning the first two games of the NLCS by a combined score of 15-3, and were starting to chill their champagne and beer for a party in the desert. 

The D-backs, instead, had other ideas, winning four of the next five games, silencing the powerful Phillies’ bats, putting them in storage until spring training. 

The Phillies simply stopped hitting. Nick Castellanos, who homered off D-backs ace Zac Gallen in his first at-bat in Game 1, proceeded to go 0-for-23. His teammates were not a whole lot better. Bryce Harper drove in just three runs in the series, Trea Turner and Byson Stott drove in two runs apiece. 

The Phillies scored just nine runs in their four losses, including five in Game 4. They hit .160 (7-for-44) with runners in scoring position. 

And they will spend all winter wondering what in the world went wrong. 

For the Diamondbacks, the Cinderella story get only bigger, greater and crazier. 

“We have just felt like we've played with our backs against the wall all postseason,’’ D-backs closer Paul Sewald said. “Maybe all season.’’ 

This is a team that won 84 games, were outscored in the regular season, upset the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card round, stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division round, shocked the Phillies in the NLCS, and for their latest feat had talk-show host Chris “Mad Dog’’ Russo promising he’ll retire on the spot if the D-backs won the series by winning the last two games in Philadelphia. 

"For the entire state of Arizona, for this organization that's had a lot of hardships over the past 36, 48 months for us to be where we are right now, it was a good moment," said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo.

Man, have they ever created absolute havoc. 

Corbin Carroll, the heavy rookie of the year favorite, took this game into his own hands. He entered the game in a 3-for-26 slump, and promptly went 3-for-4 with two RBI, a sacrifice fly and two stolen bases. 

The Diamondbacks, who came into Philadelphia on Monday with only one stolen base the first five games of the series, swiped eight bags the past two games, and left the Phillies reeling. 

The Diamondbacks, who lost 110 games just two years ago, will be decisive underdogs again in the World Series against the Rangers. They are a wild-card team, too, but possess an explosive lineup filled with star players and a huge payroll. 

Sound familiar? 

The World Series starts Friday. 

Recap of Game 7:

Kevin Ginkel puts Diamondbacks on doorstep of World Series

PHILADELPHIA — The numbers looked concerning for Kevin Ginkel. Pitching on no rest this season, he had just a 4.91 ERA. And here, in Game 7 of the NLCS, he was being asked to retire five Phillies and bridge the gap to Paul Sewald in the ninth inning.

Ginkel, though, passed his test with flying colors. The Diamondbacks, who lead 4-2, are three outs away from the World Series.

After getting Trea Turner and Bryce Harper to fly out to end the seventh inning, Ginkel struck out the side in the eighth. He needed just 14 pitches to retire Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto in order. —Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks escape jam in seventh

PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Ginkel entered the seventh inning with a perilous situation on his hands. Thanks to a pair of walks issued by Andrew Saalfrank, he had runners on first and second with one out for Trea Turner and Bryce Harper.

Ginkel, though, came through in a big way, getting both Phillies’ stars to fly out to center field. The Diamondbacks, who hold a 4-2 lead, are now six outs away from their first World Series berth in 22 years. —Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks extend lead with seventh inning rally

PHILADELPHIA — The loudest stadium in baseball was stunned into yet another moment of silence Thursday night. With Corbin Carroll’s sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning, the Diamondbacks now lead the Phillies, 4-2.

After Emmanuel Rivera led off the inning with a groundout, Phillies manager Rob Thomson summoned the left-handed Jose Alvarado to face Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte and Carroll. The move did not work.

Perdomo, a switch hitter who is weaker from the right side, singled anyway. Marte, a switch hitter who is stronger from the right side, doubled into right field after striking out in his first three at-bats. And Carroll moved the run across, driving a flyout to right field. —Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks clinging to narrow lead in late innings

PHILADELPHIA — The Diamondbacks are nine outs away from the World Series. From down 2-0 in this series and 1-0 in this game, that’s where they stand Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, where they lead the Phillies, 3-2, after six innings.

Joe Mantiply, Arizona’s first reliever of the game, allowed a lead-off double to Kyle Schwarber in the fifth inning but it’s been smooth sailing since then. He and Ryan Thompson combined to finish that frame without so much as letting Schwarber reach third. Thompson then retired the Phillies in order in the sixth. —Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks answer with two runs in the fifth

PHILADELPHIA — Corbin Carroll endured a frustrating start to this series, recording just three hits in the first six games. He has already matched that total in Game 7, helping the Diamondbacks take a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.

Emmanuel Rivera led off the inning with a single up the middle and Geraldo Perdomo bunted him over. After Ketel Marte struck out swinging, Carroll provided the big two-out hit, grounding his third single of the night past second base and into center field to plate Rivera.

Carroll then stole second base for the second time in the game. The aggressiveness proved critical when Carroll came around to score on Gabriel Moreno's single a batter later. Prior to Tuesday, Carroll had not attempted a steal in the series. —Theo Mackie

Phillies take 2-1 lead over Diamondbacks in fourth

This time it was Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott who delivers a key hit with a run-scoring double into the gap to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead. The rowdy fans at Citizens Bank Park are once again going wild.

It was a one out walk to Alec Bohm that set up the scoring opportunity for Stott, who drove in his second run of the NLCS.

Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt was able to get out of a bases loaded jam to keep the game close by striking out Johan Rojas to end the inning.

Alec Bohm's home run ties it in the second

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm hit a solo home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the second to tie the game 1-1 against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt.

The homer was Bohm's first of the 2023 playoffs after he set career highs with 20 homers and 97 RBI in the regular season.

It was also the 24th homer by the Phillies this postseason − 20 of them have been solo shots.

Game 7 underway: D-backs take first-inning lead

Corbin Carroll singled and took third on Gabriel Moreno's single, setting up an RBI groundout by Christian Walker that gave Arizona a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Phillies starter Ranger Suarez had two strikeouts in the first, but his team is already in a hole before coming to bat.

How to watch Phillies vs. Diamondbacks: NLCS Game 7 time, TV channel

Tuesday's Game 7 is scheduled to begin at 8:07 p.m. ET, airing on TBS.

Phillies, Diamondbacks' lineups, starting pitchers for NLCS Game 7

Arizona Diamondbacks

Starting pitcher: RHP Brandon Pfaadt

1. Ketel Marte (S) 2B
2. Corbin Carroll (L) CF
3. Gabriel Moreno (R) C
4. Christian Walker (R) 1B
5. Tommy Pham (R) RF
6. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LF
7. Evan Longoria (R) DH
8. Emmanuel Rivera (R) 3B
9. Geraldo Perdomo (S) SS

Philadelphia Phillies

Starting pitcher: LHP Ranger Suarez

1. Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
2. Trea Turner (R) SS
3. Bryce Harper (L) 1B
4. Alec Bohm (R) 3B
5. Bryson Stott (L) 2B
6. J.T. Realmuto (R) C
7. Nick Castellanos (R) RF
8. Brandon Marsh (L) LF
9. Johan Rojas (R) CF

Rob Thompson says Zack Wheeler is available for Phillies

Zack Wheeler was the winning pitcher in Game 5 on Saturday, allowing just one run in seven innings, and Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Wheeler would be available to pitch out of the bullpen in Game 7 if needed.

"I would think so," Thomson said pregame on Tuesday. "It's going to be all hand on deck. Everybody but (Aaron) Nola."

Have the Phillies ever played a Game 7?

No! Tuesday is the first time the Phillies have played a Game 7 in their 140-year franchise history. The Diamondbacks, who began play in 1998, have played one Game 7 – a walk-off win to clinch the 2001 World Series against the Yankees.

Zac Gallen ‘going to be available’ in Game 7

PHILADELPHIA — Game 7 of the National League Championship Series will be close to an “all hands on deck” situation for the Diamondbacks — and that includes No. 1 starter Zac Gallen.

“He came in last night, and he said, ‘You need me, I’m ready to go,’” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I really appreciated that. That’s what this team does. It’s an all-for-one mentality.”

Gallen told reporters the same thing on Monday night before he had a chance to stop by Lovullo’s office.

“If it’s something they want to do, I’ll be ready,” Gallen said. “I didn’t play like a super long catch today and tomorrow is my side day. If they ask me to, I’ll be ready.”

He said the last time he pitched on short rest was during his college days at North Carolina. He struggled in a start against Duke, failing to get out of the first inning, and he remembers pitching in a midweek game not long after.

“A little bigger stage, a little brighter lights, a little bit more adrenaline probably,” Gallen said of Game 7.

Lovullo said he was unsure how, or even if, he would use Gallen, though he did say he did not expect to use fellow starter Merrill Kelly, who pitched on Monday night.

“Is he part of the game plan? I don’t know that answer,” Lovullo said of Gallen. “But if we need him at some point, whether it’s in the game plan or late innings, extra innings, he’s going to be available to us. That really gets me excited.”

– Nick Piecoro, Arizona Republic