PHOENIX (AP) — Bryson Stott hit a homer, Aaron Nola provided another solid start on the mound and the Philadelphia Phillies finished a torrid August with a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
The Phillies have won five straight, 14 of their past 16 and finished with a 21-7 record in August, which was the best mark in the big leagues. They're now just four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Stott crushed a 464-foot
homer to right field in the second that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Bryce Harper's double off the center field wall in the third scored Garrett Stubbs and pushed the advantage to 2-0.
Nola (6-10) pitched into the sixth inning, giving up one run on five hits and two walks, striking out five. The veteran right-hander has given up two runs or less in five straight starts.
Alex McFarlane, Orion Kerkering, Brooks Raley, Jose Alvarado and Jhoan Duran combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Duran earned his 29th save in 31 chances, stranding runners on first and third.
Three-time All-Star Ketel Marte made his return for the Diamondbacks, two weeks after he failed to show up for a game in Boston. He was the designated hitter, batted cleanup and was 1 for 3 at the plate with a single and a walk.
The D-backs cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the third when Geraldo Perdomo scored all the way from first on Gabriel Moreno's double down the left field line.
Arizona is now a half-game behind the San Diego Padres for the third and final NL wild card.
D-backs right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (7-2) gave up two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings, striking out one.
The D-backs send LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (14-4, 2.50 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday night to face Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo (12-5, 3.09).
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