MLB playoffs 2023: Diamondbacks shut down Phillies, force NLCS Game 7 with 5-1 victory in Game 6

The Philadelphia Phillies finally lost a game at home in this postseason, and the Arizona Diamondbacks forced a Game 7 in the NLCS with a 5-1 victory in Game 6 on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.

Game 7 of the NLCS is Tuesday in Philly.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Philadelphia Phillies, NLCS Game 6: D-backs 5, Phillies 1 (Series tied 3-3)

Game summary:

With a 5-1 victory in Game 6, the Diamondbacks aren’t going home. There will be a Game 7 to decide which team represents the National League in the 2023 World Series.

The Diamondbacks arrived at this outcome thanks to a dominant performance from Merrill Kelly on the mound and a reinvigorated Tommy Pham at the plate (more on them below).

A special round of applause is reserved for Ketel Marte, who knocked Phillies starter Aaron Nola out of the game with an RBI triple that made it 4-1 in the fifth inning. In the seventh, Marte added another RBI to his score sheet with a single that brought Geraldo Perdomo home for some insurance. Marte is on a 15-game hitting streak, tied for sixth-longest in MLB postseason history.

Philadelphia’s lone run came on an RBI single from Brandon Marsh that scored J.T. Realmuto in the second.

Key moment:

Pham’s leadoff home run in the second inning. Actually, no — it was Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo’s decision to reinsert Pham into the starting lineup after taking him out for Game 5. That move made sense because Pham was 1-for-13 in the NLCS and had been battling through turf toe since September.

Ahead of Game 6, Lovullo made a prophetic comment about Pham’s return.

“I still feel like he’s very capable of taking one swing and getting on that run,” Lovullo told reporters early Monday. “[I wanted] him to step out of the lineup, catch his breath, watch through a different lens, maybe match him up in a great situation in Game 5, which never happened. … I’ve got a lot of information that says Tommy should have a good day today.”

Well, Pham crushed a 406-foot homer to left field Monday, and it started a three-run second inning for Arizona.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a home run in the very next at-bat. With that, Arizona joined the 2007 Boston Red Sox as the only teams to hit back-to-back homers three times in a postseason, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Evan Longoria then added an RBI double to bring home Alek Thomas, and the Diamondbacks had a 3-0 lead they never surrendered.

Impact player:

On Monday, Merrill Kelly accomplished something that few have been able to do this postseason: control the Phillies’ bats.

Through five, Kelly allowed only three hits and one run. In the fifth, he easily managed the top of the Phillies’ lineup: He struck out Kyle Schwarber, got Trea Turner to fly out and finished the inning by getting Bryce Harper swinging for his eighth strikeout of the day. Kelly was smiling when he came back to the dugout.

But he was up to 90 pitches … and though the starter wasn’t happy with the move, Lovullo decided it was time for the bullpen to see the Diamondbacks through the remainder of the game.

The relievers did, allowing three hits and no additional runs through the final four frames.

What’s next?

One more game for a spot in the World Series. NLCS Game 7 begins at 8:07 p.m. ET Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Expected starters are Brandon Pfaadt for Arizona and Ranger Suárez for Philadelphia.