Arizona Diamondbacks off to best start since 2002 after win over Philadelphia Phillies

PHILADELPHIA -- In nine seasons of Major League Baseball and more than 2,500 at-bats, Gregor Blanco had only hit 22 career home runs.

No. 23 got out in a hurry.

The Arizona Diamondbacks erased a two-run deficit in the seventh inning thanks to Blanco's two-run homer, then took the lead and held on for a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

Arizona (42-26), which has won five in a row, matched its 2002 squad for best 68-game start in franchise history.

"We have that winning spirit," Blanco said. "You always find a way as a team. We believe in all 25 guys to win a ballgame. Each day it's a new hero."

Trailing 4-2 after six innings, the Diamondbacks wasted no time pulling back even with their hosts. After pinch-hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker reached on a chopper to short to open the seventh, Blanco drove them both in with a line-drive shot to right that cleared the wall for his second home run of the year.

It certainly wasn't the most likely source for power in an Arizona lineup that has two players with 15 home runs or more and three others with at least six.

Blanco, who has played in 32 games this season (88 at-bats), has never had more than five homers in any one MLB season, despite five years with more than 300 at-bats.

"I hit one like that in Miami a couple years ago off Jose Fernandez that went into the upper deck," he recalled. "I don't hit many -- but when I hit a homer, I hit it far."

A single by the next batter, David Peralta, chased Phillies starter Aaron Nola from the game. Paul Goldschmidt then singled against reliever Pat Neshek to move Peralta to third, and the right fielder scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Lamb to put Arizona back on top 5-4.

"We do well responding to a lot of negative moments and I think that's what good teams do," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "They learn how to win and stay together. The big blow was Gregor's home run to tie it, but inside of the game after that we had a lot of little moments -- like Jake Lamb's at bat against such a quality reliever in Neshek."

The Phillies (22-44) threatened in the bottom of the seventh with men on the corners and two outs but couldn't score as they lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was generally pleased with the effort of his team. Center fielder Odubel Herrera received mention for his hustling out an infield single and tagging from first to second on a fly ball to center field, but he wasn't the only one who made winning plays in an overall losing effort.

"Those are the type of things that you have to do to win games," Mackanin said. "We only got five hits, we came up short, didn't have enough offense."

Arizona starter Patrick Corbin (6-6) picked up the win for the second consecutive start despite letting the Phillies take the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a two-RBI double by Maikel Franco. The left-hander finished out six innings, giving up four runs (two earned) and five hits while striking out five without allowing a walk.

Archie Bradley pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Diamondbacks before Fernando Rodney retired in side in order for his 19th save of the season.

Nola (3-5) gave up nine hits and those five runs (all earned) in six-plus innings, walking two while striking out six. A round of applause from the 18,000 in attendance was proof his outing was far from poor, but he admitted he had more to work on than just one mistake pitch to Blanco.

"It was a lot of things," he said. "I think I was inefficient with my fastball pretty much all game, I wasn't getting ahead of guys too much ... and then yeah I made that mistake, hanging curveball."

NOTES: The series continues Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET. The Phillies will pit RHP Jerad Eickhoff (0-7, 5.09 ERA) against Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (2-1, 2.44). ... Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph extended a career-long hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the fourth inning. ... 3B Jake Lamb's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning was his league-leading 58th RBI. ... Arizona is 14-6 (.700) in one-run games, which breaks a tie with the Los Angeles Angels for most one-run wins in MLB this year.