Diamondbacks pounce on Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel to even NLCS with 6-5 victory

PHOENIX – There will be no pool party.

Sorry, but Craig Kimbrel took care of that. Five outs from moving to the verge of a second consecutive National League pennant, the Phillies coughed up a two-run lead Friday night when the veteran closer with Hall of Fame credentials melted down in a three-run eighth inning.

The spunky, underdog Diamondbacks stole a 6-5 victory Friday night in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, ensuring that the teams will play in South Philadelphia next week and dashing the Phillies’ goal of splashing around in the Chase Field pool after wrapping things up in the desert.

The best-of-seven series is tied at 2.

Although the Phillies believe Citizens Bank Park – and the one-two punch of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola Nola in Games 5 and 6 – is their firewall, they suddenly have bigger issues. Foremost, can they keep trusting Kimbrel?

One night after giving up a walk-off single to Ketel Marte in a 24-pitch ninth inning, Kimbrel inherited a 5-3 lead in the eighth inning of a managerial chess match that exhausted both bullpens and left 47,806 fans of both teams with gnawed fingernails.

This time, Kimbrel gave up a leadoff double to Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and a one-out homer to Alek Thomas that tied the game. Unable to throw consistent strikes, Kimbrel hung a 93-mph fastball that Thomas banged out to right field for his first career pinch-hit homer.

And the Diamondbacks kept coming. Kimbrel gave up a two-out single to Marte and smoked Corbin Carroll on the right thigh. After manager Rob Thomson finally took the ball from Kimbrel, lefty Jose Alvarado gave up a go-ahead RBI single to Gabriel Moreno.

The Phillies were supposed to have an edge in a game that tested the depth of both pitching staffs. Both teams used eight pitchers, and in an upset, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen outdid the Phillies’.

It also shined a light on Thomson’s choice of a Game 4 starter. In opting for lefty Cristopher Sánchez over $72 million righty Taijuan Walker, Thomson cited a simulated game last Sunday in which the former looked sharper than the latter.

But the accumulation of rust – physical and perhaps mental – from Sánchez’s not starting a game in 26 days was apparent.

For one thing, Sánchez was unable to land his trademark change-up, throwing 11 of 15 out of the strike zone. For another, he appeared to lose track of outs in the second inning, passing up a potential double play to get an out at first base on a soft chopper to the mound.

Sánchez still got more outs (seven) than the Diamondbacks got from any of their pitchers.

It didn’t matter.

Trailing 2-0, Kyle Schwarber led off the fourth inning with a home run that served as a defibrillator for the Phillies’ snoozing offense. The Phillies tied the game in the fifth on Brandon Marsh’s RBI double – off a left-handed pitcher, no less.

And the Phillies took the lead in the sixth on a 90-foot chopper by Alec Bohm. The ball was fielded by Diamondbacks third baseman Emmanuel Rivera, who tried to get a force out at home plate. Instead, he threw the ball low, allowing not only Schwarber to score but also Trea Turner when the peg skipped by the catcher.

It was up to the Phillies’ relievers to make a 4-2 lead hold up. And for a while, it appeared they were up to it. From Jeff Hoffman to Matt Strahm to Seranthony Domínguez, the Phillies mostly muted the Diamondbacks.

After shaky Orion Kerkering walked in a run in the seventh inning, he rebounded to gain a measure of redemption for a Game 3 struggle by stranding the bases loaded to preserve the lead.

In the end, Kimbrel fumbled it away.

The pool at Chase Field will be closed Saturday night.

And the pennant is very much up for grabs.