Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 1
John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer and five different pitchers combined to allow three hits as the Philadelphia Phillies worked around a lengthy rain delay to take down the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1, on Thursday.
Wilson Valdez and Raul Ibanez each added an RBI double for the Phillies, who improved to 15-3 in their last 18 games. Philadelphia (80-42) owns the best record in the majors and leads the Atlanta Braves by 8 1/2 games in the National League East.
The Diamondbacks maintained a 2 1/2-game edge over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
The Phillies jumped on Ian Kennedy (15-4), grabbing a run in the second on Valdez’s hit and tacking on two more in the third when Mayberry hit his 10th homer of the season. The sky opened up after the third inning, resulting in a 2-hour, 17-minute delay that forced the starters from the game and ended Kennedy‘s string of seven straight wins.
David Herndon (1-2) secured the win and Ryan Madson picked up his 23rd save for Philadelphia.
Arizona rookie slugger Paul Goldschmidt ruined the shutout in the eighth when he took Michael Stutes out to deep center for his fourth homer in 47 at-bats.