Reporter Sangjin Oh = ‘KBO League reversal export legend’ Merrill Kelly (35, Arizona Diamondbacks) saved Arizona from the risk of being eliminated from the fall baseball season.
Arizona won 5-1 in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Philadelphia Phillies held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on the 24th (Korean time).
The main contributor to the victory was starting pitcher Kelly. Kelly previously took the mound as a starter in Game 2 of the NLCS on the 18th and recorded a loss by allowing 4 runs in 5⅔ innings. There were only three hits, but all of them ended up being solo home runs.
In Game 6, where the team’s fate was at stake, Kelly laid the foundation for victory with a pitching pitch in 5 innings, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, and 1 run. Kelly put himself in danger with two walks in the bottom of the first inning, with one out and runners on first and second base, but he struck out Alec Bom and dismissed Bryson Stadt with a fly ball to shortstop to end the inning without allowing a run.
Arizona’s batting lineup gave Kelly strength from the second inning. In the bottom of the second inning, leadoff hitter Tommy Pham hit a go-ahead solo shot against Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola. Then, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. rocked Nola with back-to-back home runs. It didn’t end here. After Alec Thomas got on base with a walk, Evan Longoria hit a timely double, quickly making the score 3-0.
Kelly, who received 3 points, gave up a run right away in the bottom of the second inning. Kelly, who was hit by a double by leadoff hitter JT Realmuto, took a breather by striking out the next hitter, Nick Castellanos. However, he was hit by Brandon Marsh with a timely hit to the right, allowing him to trail 3-1. This score was Kelly’s only error on the day.
Kelly struck out leadoff hitter Bryce Harper in the bottom of the third inning and then allowed a hit to Bohm. Kelly grounded the next batter, Stutt, and the lead runner was out at second base, but Stutt, who became the runner on first base, succeeded in stealing, putting the team in danger of scoring with two outs and two on second base. Kelly overcame the crisis by striking out a missed swing with a high fastball after a close battle that lasted until seven pitches against Realmuto, who allowed a double in the second inning.
Kelly, who gained momentum, threw out a ground ball to second base, a strikeout, and a fly ball to center field in the fourth inning. Arizona’s batting lineup responded to Kelly’s strong pitching. Following Corbin Carroll’s hit in the top of the 5th inning, Ketel Marte hit a timely triple to make it 4-1.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, Kelly struck out the 1st through 3rd batting order consisting of Kyle Schwarber, Trey Turner, and Harper, struck out a fly ball to center field, and met the requirements for a winning pitcher. The Philadelphia batting lineup, overwhelmed by Kelly’s momentum, was unable to create any significant chances against Arizona’s bullpen, and Arizona put a wedge in the game with Ketel Marte’s timely hit in the top of the 7th inning with one out and runners on second base. It was a 5-1 Arizona victory.굿모닝토토 도메인
Arizona, which took both the first and second games on the road, suffered three consecutive losses at home and was on the verge of being eliminated from the fall baseball season. However, on the road again, they won Game 6 with a combination of two hits and succeeded in leveling the series record to 3 wins and 3 losses.
On the other hand, Philadelphia lost the series in Game 6 when Philadelphia’s ‘fall ace’ Aaron Nola, who had shown an overwhelming showing of 3 wins in 3 games and an ERA of 0.96 in this postseason, collapsed with 6 hits, 2 home runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 4 runs in 4⅓ innings. I couldn’t finish it. The two teams will compete in the fateful 7th game at home in Philadelphia on the 25th for a ticket to the World Series.