D-backs put up 18 hits in Merrill Kelly’s return, pound Phillies

Merrill Kelly tossed five solid innings in his return and Adrian Del Castillo continued his impressive start to his major league career as the Arizona Diamondbacks pounded the Philadelphia Phillies 12-5 on Sunday in Phoenix.

Kelly (3-0) limited Philadelphia to two runs on three hits in his first major league start since April 15 (right shoulder strain). He walked two, struck out two and threw 85 pitches.

Del Castillo, who made his debut on Wednesday, tallied three more hits and drove in two runs. The 24-year-old catcher is 7-for-12 with a home run and five RBIs over his first three games.

Jake McCarthy hit a three-run triple and finished with four RBIs while Corbin Carroll hit a two-run homer for Arizona, which tallied 18 hits. All 10 Diamondbacks who logged an at-bat recorded a hit.

McCarthy and Kevin Newman had three hits each as Arizona took three of four from the National League-leading Phillies to win its eighth straight series.

The Diamondbacks have won 15 of their last 18 games and moved into a tie with the San Diego Padres for the NL’s top wild-card spot.

Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (8-8) allowed a career-high 12 hits and a career-high-tying seven runs over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and fanned four.

Alec Bohm hit a two-run double in the first for the Phillies, who finished a Western trip 4-6. Philadelphia still leads the NL East by 7 1/2 games.

Arizona trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the third before getting to Sanchez for four runs in the inning.

After Eugenio Suarez’s one-out RBI double, Del Castillo put the Diamondbacks ahead 4-2 on his chopper past Bryce Harper at first base that scored Josh Bell and Suarez. Newman followed with a double, then Del Castillo scored on Sanchez’s wild pitch to make it 5-2.

McCarthy put Arizona up 8-2 in the fifth with his bases-clearing triple off Tanner Banks, who relieved Sanchez a batter earlier. Newman added an RBI double in the sixth against Orion Kerkering.

The Phillies plated three against Dylan Floro in the seventh before the Diamondbacks answered with McCarthy’s RBI single and Carroll’s home run.

Arizona’s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made a leaping catch against the left field fence to end the third inning but did not come out for the fourth. Per the team, Gurriel was removed with left hamstring tightness. Carroll replaced him in the lineup.

–Field Level Media