Philadelphia maintains its solidity at Citizens Park

With home runs by Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Nick Castellanos, the Phillies took the lead in the first two innings to win 5-3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the start of the National League Championship Series.

Zach Wheeler struck out seven and allowed a pair of runs

and three hits in six innings, earning his second victory in the postseason; Craig Kimbrel recorded three saves with the Phillies, while Harper and J.T. Realmuto had run-scoring singles in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

The D-backs responded with a home run by Geraldo Perdomo

in the sixth inning, while Mexican Alek Thomas drove in Christian Walker with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, but they lost their undefeated streak in these playoffs.

Keep it going tomorrow#RedOctober x @IBX

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 17, 2023

Philadelphia Phillies' offensive power struck Zac Gallen

The right-hander was punished in five innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, two walks, and struck out four batters. His record in these playoffs is two wins and one loss.

The D-backs, who swept the Milwaukee Brewers in two games in the Wild Card Series

and three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Divisional Series, suffered their first defeat in these playoffs. Manager Torey Lovullo's team entered the playoffs with the last ticket in the National League and has become the dark horse of the postseason, although Philadelphia poses a greater challenge to their aspirations.

In contrast, the Phillies have a record of 11-2 at home in the last two playoffs. The only two losses in that streak came last year in the World Series against the Houston Astros. This year, Rob Thomson's team aims to return to the Fall Classic.

FCM