Diamondbacks top Phillies in Game 7 of NLCS, earn berth in World Series

PHILADELPHIA — The unheralded Arizona Diamondbacks returned to the World Series for the first time in 22 years on Tuesday, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

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Arizona dethroned the defending National League champion Phillies by winning their last two games at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. They will face the Texas Rangers in the World Series.

Game 1 is Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won the American League Championship Series on Monday, advancing to the Fall Classic with an 11-4 victory against the Houston Astros, the defending World Series champions.

Rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll went 3-for-4, scored two runs, drove in two runs and stole a pair of bases to lead the Diamondbacks, who qualified for their first World Series since 2001. That year, Arizona won a dramatic seven-game series against the New York Yankees.

Corbin also caught the final out of the game, a fly ball to right field by pinch-hitter Jake Cave.

“We did it. You know, we did it,” Corbin said after the game. “That’s all I can say.”

Arizona’s bullpen came up clutch Tuesday by stifling several rallies by the Phillies. Relievers Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel and closer Paul Sewald shut out Philadelphia over the final five innings.

The Diamondbacks, with an 84-78 regular-season record that ended with four straight losses, had the worst mark of the four teams that reached the league championship series. But Arizona ended the Phillies’ magic at Citizens Bank Park to punch a ticket to the Fall Classic.

The Diamondbacks entered the season with 125-1 odds to reach the World Series, according to ESPN.

Until Game 6 on Monday, Citizens Bank Park had been home sweet home for the Phillies this season. Philadelphia was 49-32 at home during 2023 and was 6-0 during the postseason heading into Game 6 of the NLCS, the Delaware News Journal reported. That ended when Arizona forced a Game 7 with a 5-1 victory.

Tuesday night before a partisan Philadelphia crowd of 45,397 fans, Arizona struck early with a run in the first inning. Christian Walker grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Carroll, who reached base on an infield single and went to third on Gabriel Moreno’s base hit to right field.

The Phillies tied the game when Alec Bohm led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run to left-center field.

Bohm scored on Bryson Stott’s RBI double in the fourth inning to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead. But the Diamondbacks tied the game in the fifth on Carroll’s two-out, RBI single and went ahead 3-2 on Moreno’s run-scoring single. The inning ended when Moreno was thrown out at second.

Arizona extended its lead to 4-2 in the seventh inning when Carroll hit a sacrifice fly to score Geraldo Perdomo, who had singled and went to third on Ketel Marte’s double.

The Phillies were seeking their ninth World Series appearance and their fourth since 2008. Philadelphia won the World Series twice, in 1980 and 2008. They lost to the Astros last season.

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NLCS: Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a solo home run in he second inning during Game 7. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)