The Philadelphia Phillies pushed the Arizona Diamondbacks to the brink behind a strong start from starter Zack Wheeler and home runs from Kyle Schwarber (1), Bryce Harper (1), and J.T. Realmuto (2).
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 in Game 5 of the best-of-seven Major League Baseball (MLB) National League Championship Series (NLCS) at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., on Sunday, April 22.

Leading the series 3-2, the Phillies need just one win in Games 6 and 7 at home to advance to the World Series as National League champions for the second straight year.

The Phillies scored two runs in the first inning to take control. With runners on second and third, Bryson Stott singled through the right side to score one run and then a double steal of second and third scored another. As the first baseman attempted to steal second, Harper broke for home. There was a collision with the catcher, but the throw was deflected toward the third base foul line and the umpires ruled that Harper was unable to avoid the collision.

After back-to-back blown saves by closer Craig Kimbrel in Games 3 and 4 to tie the game, the Phillies used a pair of sixth-inning cannons to cling to a precarious lead.

Schwarber led off with a solo home run to right-center off Arizona starter Zach Gallon. It was Schwarber’s fifth home run of the NLCS and his 20th career postseason home run.

The slugger got on the board, too. One inning later, he silenced the crowd of 47,897 with a one-run arch in the same direction to make it 4-0.

The defense gave up a solo homer to Arizona’s Alex Thomas in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to three, but Realmuto’s two-run blast to left in the top of the eighth put the game out of reach.

Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the NLCS, gave his team the decisive victory with seven innings of five-hit, eight-strikeout, one-run ball. Wheeler, a 33-year-old right-hander, is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four postseason games. In 26 innings pitched, he has 34 strikeouts and two walks, making him a “big game pitcher.
Game 6 between the two teams will take place on April 24 at 6 a.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Phillies will look to close out the series with starting pitcher Aaron Nola, who is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA this postseason. 굿모닝토토

Arizona, on the other hand, will look to bounce back with right-hander Merrill Kelly (1-1, 3.00 ERA), a reverse-export from the Korea Baseball Organization, who is coming off a 16-year absence from the NLCS.