PHILADELPHIA — Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Gabriel Moreno and Joc Pederson hit homers against struggling Phillies starter Taijuan Walker to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-4 win over Philadelphia on Friday night.
It was the first game between the teams since Arizona won the final two games of the National League Championship Series on the road last season en route to the club's second World Series appearance.
“I think we're a good baseball team that played good baseball,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “And we respect our opponents. They are a good baseball team and coming in here is tough. It's a very hostile crowd. But our guys came in here, played a good game and blocked it out."
Jordan Montgomery (6-4) allowed only five hits and two earned runs over six innings. Montgomery — who signed late in spring training as a free agent — has won his last three starts, dropping his ERA from 6.80 to 5.71.
“I'm just getting more comfortable out there,” Montgomery said. “I'm starting to move how I'm supposed to. I just let it rip and let the balls go where they are supposed to go.”
Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos homered for Philadelphia, which has dropped six of its last nine games.
Walker, the Phillies fifth starter, has been the subject of speculation about being replaced in the starting rotation. He has now allowed 10 home runs in his 10 starts (52 1/3 innings). His ERA is 5.60 while the rest of the Phillies starting staff has a combined ERA of 2.67. His sinker has not been accurate and his velocity has dipped.
“I mean I think that’s the problem right now,” Walker said. “It’s not there. And the last two years I’ve been throwing it so much. It’s kind of been my bread and better, my go-to pitch."
When asked about Walker's future in Philadelphia's rotation, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was non-commital.
Walker was replaced by Spencer Turnbull, who threw three innings of scoreless relief.
Gurriel started the scoring in the second with a solo homer. Moreno followed with a two-run shot with one out in the third which was immediately followed by Pederson's solo shot that draw several boos from the sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Pederson had drawn some ire from Phillies fans for posting a picture with the Phanatic in the off-season and playing “Dancing On My Own” — the club's playoff song the last two seasons — with a caption of “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” on social media in a move that many believed was a sign he was coming to Philadelphia. He was heckled after striking out.
“After they talked trash to me in my first at-bat, that was part of it,” Pederson said. “I told some guys in the dugout that I was going to hit a home run and talk trash back to them.”
Geraldo Perdomo added an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single.
HAMELS RETIRES AS A PHIL
Cole Hamels — one of two men to win World Series MVP in the 141-year history of the Phillies — officially retired as a member of the club during a pregame ceremony on Friday.
Hamels, who pitched parts of nine seasons for Philadelphia from 2006-2015, was the MVP of both the 2008 National League Championship Series and the 2008 World Series when the Phillies beat Tampa Bay in five games. He also threw a no-hitter in his final start for the Phillies in 2015 at Chicago.
Hamels' career took him to Texas, Chicago and Atlanta before shoulder issues ended comeback attempts with both the Dodgers and Padres. He finished with a 163-122 record with a 3.43 ERA.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Moreno left Friday's game in the sixth inning with what the club said was a strained left thumb. ... RHP Zac Gallen (right hamstring strain) will throw a simulated game on Monday with the hopes of starting a rehabilitation assignment shortly after that. ... RHP Miguel Castro (right shoulder inflammation) will throw live batting practice on Monday in Arizona. ... OF Alek Thomas (strained left hamstring) is scheduled to play in the Arizona Complex League with the hope of beginning a rehab assignment right after that.
Phillies: IF/OF Kody Clemens (back spasms) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday night, playing first base. ... RHP Luis Ortiz (right forearm soreness) was recalled from a rehab assignment and will see a doctor for a second opinion after experiencing soreness on June 18.
UP NEXT
Philadelphia will send RHP Zack Wheeler (8-4, 2.84) to the mound on Saturday against Arizona LHP Tommy Henry (2-2, 6.23).
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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