Arizona Diamondbacks draw first blood with huge second inning in Philly: "Quieting Phillies fans"
Coming into Game 6 of the NLCS, the Arizona Diamondbacks knew that they needed to win. With their season on the line, the kids came out swinging early.
After a scoreless first inning, veteran Tommy Pham opened the game with a 406-foot shot to center field. Afterwards, the very next batter, leftfielder Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., lofted a consecutive homer off Phillies ace Aaron Nola before Evan Longoria doubled to make it 3-0.
Nola, who dominated the D-Backs in the Phillies' 10-0 routing in Game 2, has been remarkable. Coming into the match, the 30-year-old had allowed just two runs in 18 postseason innings.
"Feeling Phamtastic after back-to-back jacks!" - Arizona Diamondbacks
Fans of the Snakes are already having their say online. In the moments after the Arizona Diamondbacks went up 3-0, silencing Phillies fans, many comments began to appear, cheering them on.
After getting outscored 15-3 by the Philadelphia Phillies over the first two games of the series, the Diamondbacks battled back in dramatic fashion. In Game 3, Ketel Marte came through with the third playoff walk-off in franchise history before Arizona unloaded a 6-1 slugfest in Game 4.
The Phillies were able to get one back in the bottom of the inning, with Brandon Marsh delivering an RBI single. Still, just one victory lies between the Phillies and a World Series spot, possibly even in a 2022 rematch with the Houston Astros.
While their lead still stands, the Diamondbacks have not been a particularly well-hitting team in the postseason. Only two players, Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno, boast a batting average above .280. Meanwhile, stars like Christian Walker, Geraldo Perdomo, and NL Rookie of the Year candidate Corbin Carroll are all hitting .240 or lower.
Arizona Diamondbacks are not going down without a fight
In the middle of the summer, many did not believe that the Arizona Diamondbacks would make the postseason, let alone the NLCS. By downing some of the NL's most potent teams, like the Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, manager Torey Lovullo's side has shown a rare brand of tenacity and swagger.
While beating the Phillies remains a tall task, it is not, by any means, an impossible one. At each juncture of the regular season, the Snakes battled adversity and came back against the odds.
Now, all that stands between them and their first Fall Classic in a generation is toughing out Phillies' fans two more times.