Phillies clap back to take series vs. Diamondbacks

After getting swept by the very same Arizona Diamondbacks two weeks ago, the Phillies rebounded to take two of three this weekend — taking the rubber game 7-4 on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Freddy Galvis led the way with three RBI while Ranger Suarez provided some stability out of the rotation from a pitcher not named Zack Wheeler — allowing just one run over 5.1 innings of work with five strikeouts.

The Phillies hung a pair on the Diamondbacks in the first after an Andrew McCutchen RBI single before Galvis drove in a second run with a sacrifice fly.

Arizona would halve the Phillies’ lead temporarily after Jake McCarthy doubled, but Philadelphia hung a three-spot on the Diamondbacks in the fifth inning to seemingly put them out of sight.

After Jorge Bonaficio’s soft groundout with the bases loaded brought home a run, Galvis struck again with a two-run single to put the Phillies up 5-1.

Nick Ahmed did his best to get the Diamondbacks back in it after Suarez was pulled. He smacked an RBI double in the seventh inning before pulling Arizona within one in the eighth with a two-RBI single, but the Phillies would answer to pick up the bullpen.

In the bottom of the eighth, both Rafael Marchan and Travis Jankowski tripled to drive in a combined two runs to preserve the Phillies’ first two-game win streak since they won eight straight from Aug. 1-8.

An Atlanta Braves victory over the dangerous San Francisco Giants ensured that the Phillies would remain 4.5 games out, but it kept a three-game advantage over the New York Mets — who defeated the Washington Nationals on Sunday — for second place in the National League East.