PHOENIX -- Randall Delgado has popped up wherever the D-backs have needed him this year, and when he has gotten the rare spot start, he has made it count.
In his first start since June 9, Delgado tossed five scoreless innings and held the Phillies to four hits while striking out five in the D-backs' 2-1 win over the Phillies in 11 innings on Sunday afternoon.
"He's been very dependable out of the bullpen," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "He's been a guy who's stepped into the starting role when we needed to slot him into those key moments. He repeats deliveries, he repeats pitches, he can execute three pitches at any time, and that's what we love about him."

Delgado was inserted into the rotation to give Arizona's starters an extra day of rest, and it proved to be a winning formula for the D-backs. He needed just 75 pitches to get through five innings, and when he ran into trouble, he was bailed out by some stellar defense.
Delgado gave up a leadoff double to Maikel Franco in the second, and Odubel Herrera followed with a tailing line drive to left, but Gregor Blanco made a diving catch to keep Franco from scoring.
"I'm pretty happy, but I'm more happy we got the win today," Delgado said. "That was more important. I'm just trying to do my job and trying to help the team get the win, and I think it worked today."
When the D-backs have called on Delgado to start this season, he has been outstanding. The right-hander has now held opponents to one earned run or fewer in four of his five starts this season, and after five scoreless innings on Sunday, his ERA is down to 2.52 as a starter.

"Randy's been outstanding," Descalso said. "Throwing the ball well out of the bullpen, they ask him to start, and he's giving us a bunch of quality starts. Throw him back in there today, and he does the same thing. He's just done a great job for us."
The D-backs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Nick Ahmed scored on a Paul Goldschmidt single, and Delgado escaped trouble in the fifth to keep the lead intact. He walked Herrera with one out, then gave up a single to Andrew Knapp that put runners on first and second. But he used a combination of curveballs and sliders to force Ty Kelly and Jeremy Hellickson into back-to-back groundouts to escape unscathed.
"What can you say about him?" Lovullo said. "He gave us five really crisp innings. I know things got a little wobbly there for him there in his final three batters, and I think he knew that was gonna be his last hitter. He made a quality pitch and got a big out when he needed to. Randall's been that way for us for a long time."