Behind six scoreless innings from starting pitcher Sean O’Sullivan and homers from Maikel Franco and Darin Ruf, the streaking Phillies wrapped up a 6-4 homestand with a 6-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday afternoon.
Not only did the Phillies sweep the D-backs with Sunday’s victory to record their first sweep of the season, but they also won their fifth game in a row to improve to 16-23.
The five-game winning streak equals the team’s longest winning streak over the past two seasons. They haven't won five straight since July 7-11 of last year.
The last time the Phillies won more than five games in a row was Sept. 5-12, 2012, when they won seven straight.
Their five-game home winning streak is the longest since they won six in a row from June 2-18, 2013.
It's the Phils' first sweep of Arizona since July 27-29, 2010, also a three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park.
MLB
Starting pitching report
O’Sullivan allowed five hits and a pair of walks in six innings to go with four strikeouts. He got out of a two-on and no-outs jam in the second and left the bases loaded in the third before retiring nine straight into the sixth inning.
O’Sullivan left the game despite throwing just 79 pitches. With two outs and two on in the sixth, O’Sullivan appeared to look away just as catcher Cameron Rupp threw the ball back and hit him in the throat/upper chest.
Nevertheless, O’Sullivan picked up his first win of the season and his first in the big leagues since May 12, 2011, when he was pitching for the Royals.
For the Diamondbacks, right-hander Josh Collmenter was hit up for four runs on six hits — four extra-base hits — and two walks in six innings.
Bullpen report
Luis Garcia tossed a perfect seventh inning and Ken Giles faced four hitters in the eighth.
Jeanmar Gomez pitched the ninth inning. He loaded the bases but managed to finish the game unscathed.
At the plate
Franco hit his first big-league triple off the high wall in center in the sixth inning before clubbing his first homer in the eighth inning. In his last 13 games, including 10 at Triple A Lehigh Valley, Franco is 22 for 53 (.415) with four homers and 15 RBIs.
Ruf started at first base and went 2 for 3 with a walk and his third homer of the season. The Phillies are 8-10 in Ruf’s starts and he hit his first big-league homer off a right-hander since Sept. 16, 2013.
Additionally, Cesar Hernandez had a pair of doubles and Ben Revere went 3 for 4 with three singles and a walk. Revere has walked eight times this season in 38 games. Last season he walked 13 times in 151 games.
Up next
After the game, the Phillies hit the road for a 10-game trip that takes them to Colorado, Washington and New York. Things kick off against the Rockies on Monday night with a four-game series.
The pitching matchups vs. Colorado:
Monday: Cole Hamels (3-3, 3.53) vs. Jordan Lyles (2-3, 4.30)
Tuesday: Aaron Harang (4-3, 2.03) vs. Chad Bettis (0-0, 7.20)
Wednesday: TBD vs. Eddie Butler (2-4, 4.24)
Thursday: Jerome Williams (3-3, 5.02) vs. Jorge de la Rosa (1-2, 6.56)
Somehow, the Phillies miss a reunion against Kyle Kendrick.