PHILADELPHIA - Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. extended the longest active hitting spree in the majors with a homer and double as well as two RBIs. The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Monday night.
Gurriel, who was acquired by Arizona in a three player trade with Toronto over the winter, went 4 for 4, and improved his batting average to.321.During this streak, Gurriel's average is.416 (25 for 60), with six doubles and seven homers. He also has 14 RBIs. Gurriel has been hitting.351 on the road in his last 13 games. He has three doubles, four homes and nine RBIs.
Gurriel hit his eighth homer in the second inning when he connected on a hanging sweeper by Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. The ball was driven into the left-centerfield seats. He finished the night with a scorching slap just inside the first-base bag in the 8th inning. This scored Christian Walker as an insurance run, after Philadelphia had pulled within 4-3.
Torey Lovullo, Arizona manager, said: "He's a great hitter. It's fun to watch his approach."He gets a middle-up and center-in slider and hits it for a big home run. When these guys perform at a high level, I get to be in the front row and it is a lot of fun.
Wheeler (3-4), was slowed down by Stott's fielding error on a possible Gabriel Moreno ball double play in the second. Geraldo Perdomo's double into the right-field corner, which scored two runs, proved to be costly.
Schwarber (2-1) and Stott (2-1) both homered in the fourth to reduce the deficit by one run. Smith responded in the fifth inning with a solo shot as a leadoff off Wheeler. Wheeler had allowed eight hits and scored three runs over his six innings.
Rob Thomson, Phillies manager, said: "I thought he'd be better than the line."''The Gurriel and (Smith) home runs were two of the few balls which were hard hit. There were many soft hits, including Perdomo's. They did a good job of getting his pitch count up. But he fought on through six pitches, and that was a big deal for us.
Phillies: LHP Jose Alvarado threw flat ground during pregame work at Citizens Bank Park, Monday. Rob Thomson, the Phillies manager, said that if Alvarado feels good enough on Tuesday following a cool-down day, the reliever will be expected to work in the Phillies bullpen on Wednesday during the first of two side sessions anticipated before heading out on a rehab outing. INF Edmundo Sosa missed the Monday lineup due to tightness in his leg as he returned to the first-base bag. He did pinch-hit in the ninth inning and struck out.
The teams will play the second game in a three-game series on Tuesday night. Arizona will send RHP Ryne Nelson (1-2, 5.48 ERA), to the mound. The Phillies are likely to use a bullpen, starting with reliever Matt Strahm (4-5, 2.73), and then turning to the newly-acquired Dylan Covey (0-1, 4.50 ERA).
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