D-Backs Beat Phillies 3-2 For 5th Straight Win
PHOENIX (AP) — Miguel Montero hit a tiebreaking home to lead off the eighth inning, Ian Kennedy shook off a shaky start to pitch seven innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
The Diamondbacks struggled against Phillies starter Tyler Cloyd, but scratched out a run in the seventh and went ahead when Montero hit the first pitch thrown by Mike Adams (1-3) in the eighth off the foul pole in right.
Kennedy gave up a leadoff homer to Jimmy Rollilns and two runs in the first inning before settling down to keep Arizona in it.
Tony Sipp (2-1) got two outs in the eighth inning and David Hernandez worked out of a jam in the ninth for his first save.
The Phillies had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth inning, but Hernandez got pinch hitter Laynce Nix on a soft pop-up and ended the game by inducing a groundout by Rollins.
Kennedy has labored since beating St. Louis on Opening Day, allowing four or more runs three times during a six-game winless streak. The right-hander lost to San Diego after allowing four runs in seven innings in his last outing and got off to a rough start against the Phillies.
Rollins hit the first pitch of the game out to right for his 44th career leadoff homer, matching Brady Anderson for fourth all-time. Domonic Brown followed a walk and another hit with a run-scoring single that put the Phillies up 2-0.
Kennedy found a rhythm after that, allowing a single in the second inning and no other hits until Ben Revere led off the seventh with a single. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom half after allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
Cloyd was just as good.
The right-hander pitched six games for the Phillies in 2012, going 2-2, and opened this season in the minors.
He was called up to start against the Diamondbacks after Roy Halladay went out with a shoulder injury.
Making his season debut in one of baseball's most hitter-friendly parks didn't seem to bother the 25-year-old.
In the first inning, Eric Chavez lined a double to the right field corner off him and Paul Goldschmidt just beat John Mayberry's throw after running through — almost literally — third base coach Matt Williams' stop sign.
Cloyd had the Diamondbacks guessing after that, working around a pair of walks in the fourth inning with a double play and allowing no hits until Cody Ross hit a one-out flare single to left in the seventh.
He was lifted after that, but didn't figure into the decision because Ross tagged up on Jason Kubel's long flyball to get into scoring position and scored on Prado's run-scoring single off Antonio Bastardo. Prado's hit ended a 29 at-bat hitless streak with runners in scoring position.
Cloyd allowed two hits and struck out four.
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