Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto each homer in Phillies' 7-2 win over Diamondbacks

Lochlahn March, The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 3, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PHILADELPHIA — Across his first six starts of the year, Aaron Nola received six runs total in support from the Phillies offense. But by the end of the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, they scored six more.

Scattered rains and lightning flashing in the distance didn’t dampen the Phillies’ bats. Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto both homered as the offense backed up Nola’s best start of the season for a 7-2 win over Arizona.

Nola struck Corbin Carroll out looking with a 94.4 mph four-seam fastball to start the game, the hardest pitch he has thrown all season. The velocity on all his pitches trended up as Nola struck out eight Diamondbacks. He did not allow a run.

The Diamondbacks worked counts, driving Nola’s pitch count up to 39 after the second inning and 55 after the third. But Nola was able to grind through six shutout innings, stranding five runners.

The offense did their part. A parade of five straight hits — a single, a home run, a double, another single and another double — scored three runs in the second before the Diamondbacks recorded a single out.

The two-run homer belonged to Kepler, marking his second in the series and third in his last four games. Brandon Marsh, making his return from the injured list, drove in the third run with an RBI double for his first major league hit in over a month.

Marsh fell behind in the count 1-2 to Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt, but sent a curveball at the bottom of the zone down the right field line. He also later hit an infield single.

The Phillies scored three more runs in the third. Pfaadt hit Kyle Schwarber with a pitch to start the rally, extending his on-base streak to 39 games. Kepler singled, before Realmuto crushed a sweeper for a three-run shot.

Realmuto went 2 for 4 with two deep flyouts.

They tacked on another in the fourth. Trea Turner doubled, advanced to third on a groundout from Bryce Harper, before the Diamondbacks intentionally walked Schwarber. Nick Castellanos hit a grounder to third base, but a throwing error allowed Turner to score.

Arizona got a few back in the seventh, with Carlos Hernández in to pitch for Nola. Hernández allowed a leadoff single to Gabriel Moreno, before hanging a slider to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The Diamondbacks outfielder, who also had three hits in the series opener, sent it 393 feet to cut into the Phillies’ lead.

It marked the first runs the Phillies’ bullpen has allowed since April 29. Tanner Banks pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and Joe Ross responded from a two-out double with a strikeout to seal it in the ninth.

With the win, the Phillies secured their third straight series victory.