Phillies chip away at D-backs for fifth straight win
PHILADELPHIA -- It'd been a long time since the Phillies last swept a team. It'd been even longer since Sean O'Sullivan added to his win column.
With a 6-0 victory over the D-backs on Sunday, the Phillies did both. For the first time in 20 series, the Phillies completed a sweep, continuing a torrid 31-16 streak versus the D-backs dating back to 2008. O'Sullivan, who hadn't earned a win since May 12, 2011, hurled six shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out four while walking two.
"Everyone's kind of feeding off each other," O'Sullivan said. "The rotation is kind of feeding off each other. It's almost like everyone's kind of accountable for their part because you don't want to be the guy that's not accountable for his part. I think everyone's really playing as a unit right now."
Video: ARI@PHI: O'Sullivan throws six strong shutout innings
Josh Collmenter was on the losing end of the decision for the D-backs, allowing four earned runs off of six hits in six innings. This was Arizona's fourth straight loss and seventh in nine games.
"I thought he kept us in the game," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "Early it looked like he didn't have his control, the ball wasn't moving like he wanted it to. I thought later on he started to really get it going. He had a low pitch count, which is typical of him. He was fine."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
"Ump"-starting his day: O'Sullivan allowed five baserunners on three hits and two walks, one of which was intentional, through the first 2 2/3 innings of the game. However, after an official review turned what appeared to be the D-backs' fourth hit of the game into a 6-3 putout, wiping a run off the board and ending the inning, O'Sullivan settled down, retiring the next eight batters he faced.
Video: ARI@PHI: Phillies challenge and single is overturned
Missed opportunities: The D-backs had several chances to score against O'Sullivan, but didn't get hits with runners in scoring position. In the second, Yasmany Tomas and Aaron Hill led off with back-to-back singles, but Chris Owings flied out and Jordan Pacheco grounded into a double play. A pair of two-out singles by A.J. Pollock and Tomas went to waste in the sixth. More >
Video: ARI@PHI: O'Sullivan gets double play to escape jam
Flying Franco: In just his third game since a callup from Triple-A, third baseman Maikel Franco came through with his first signature hit, an RBI triple in the sixth inning that put the Phillies up 3-0. Franco came in to score on Cesar Hernandez's second double of the day. Two innings later, Franco pulled a ball over the left-center-field wall for his first Major League home run, a solo shot. More >
Video: ARI@PHI: Franco launches his first Major League homer
Rough stretch: Collmenter lost for the second straight outing and has given up four or more runs in each of his last three. After giving up just one home run in his first five starts of the year, the right-hander has allowed six in his last three outings.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
O'Sullivan's win Sunday came on the anniversary of the loss that started his four-year losing streak. A member of the Kansas City Royals at the time, O'Sullivan was teammates with current Phillie Jeff Francoeur. O'Sullivan allowed six runs in five innings in that game.
"It's something I wasn't even aware of and then I saw it and was like 'Man, I need to get a win,'" O'Sullivan said of his losing streak. "Today I was more focused on doing my job to keep our winning streak going than for personal gain.
INSTANT REPLAY
Replay took a run off the board for the D-backs in the top of the third inning after what was initially ruled as an RBI infield single for Pollock by first-base umpire Sean Barber. The call was overturned by the review team in New York, preserving Philadelphia's early 1-0 lead after a 1-minute, 10-second review.
INJURY UPDATE
The Phillies announced after the game that starter Chad Billingsley is headed to the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. Right-hander Hector Neris was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Billingsley's roster spot.
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: Rubby De La Rosa gets the start for the D-backs on Monday at 4:10 p.m. MST as they open a four-game series at Miami. De La Rosa has pitched seven innings in three of his last four outings and has won two straight.
Phillies: The Phillies head west Monday for the beginning of a 10-game road trip. The first leg will take them to Colorado for a four-game tilt versus the Rockies. Cole Hamels will take the ball, coming off back-to-back seven-inning wins in which the lefty allowed just three runs total.
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