PHILADELPHIA - Kyle Schwarber hit two of Philadelphia's three solo homers off Merrill Kelly, and the sweet-swinging Phillies pounded the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-0 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in the NL Championship Series.
Trea Turner also connected and J.T. Realmuto had two hits and three RBIs as Philadelphia improved to 7-1 in the playoffs, moving closer to a second straight World Series appearance. Aaron Nola tossed three-hit ball and struck out seven in six innings.
Game 3 is Thursday at Chase Field. The Texas Rangers also hold a 2-0 lead over the Houston Astros in the ALCS headed into Wednesday’s game.
It was another loud night in Philly as Kelly was roasted after saying fans at Citizens Bank Park could not possibly be any louder than the ones he heard cheering for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
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Trio of sporting events in South Philadelphia creates traffic nightmare
Game 2 of the Phillies NLCS series against the Arizona Diamondbacks was the hottest ticket in town Tuesday night, but it wasn't the only ticket in town. The Flyers played an early season game at the Wells Fargo Center, and Germany-Mexico national teams played a friendly match at Lincoln Financial Field. The three events converged to create a traffic nightmare that gridlocked cars and frustrated fans.
Not just any Classic game. The one in May when Turner hit a grand slam for the United States that lifted them into the tournament’s semifinals.
"I haven’t obviously heard this place on the field," Kelly said ahead of Game 1, "but I would be very surprised if it trumped that (WBC) game down in Miami."
As the kids say, challenge accepted.
Kelly, a 12-game winner this season, was voraciously booed from pregame introductions to his walk to the mound, a sort of we’ll-show-you vibe from 45,412 Phillies diehards determined to shake the ballpark again in October.
How loud?
"AC/DC concert level," loud, Turner said before Game 2.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said a rival coach told him last season that a playoff game in Philly was "four hours of hell," and Turner sent a charge through the crowd when he clocked a four-seam fastball to left-center field for a 1-0 lead in the first.