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PHILADELPHIA -- Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo didn't bite when given the chance to get into a war of words with fellow National League West rival manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Roberts called the Dodgers the best team in the division.
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"If he believes that, he needs to say what he feels," Lovullo said. "More power to him."
Lovullo seems fine with letting his team's play do the talking.
The Diamondbacks scored four times in the seventh inning and received a strong outing from Zack Godley to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Saturday evening.
Arizona (43-26) has won six straight while the Phillies (22-45) sustained their 10th loss in 11 games. The Diamondbacks have the same record as the Dodgers, but both are a game behind Colorado for first place in the NL West.
"It's a good feeling," Lovullo said. "They deserve it and should enjoy it."
With the score tied at 1, the Diamondbacks took advantage of Philadelphia's lack of middle relief strength to tilt the contest in the seventh.
Pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, who relieved Godley in the bottom of the sixth, attempted a sacrifice bunt with none out and a runner on first. Catcher Andrew Knapp made a poor choice trying to cut down the runner at second base and the Phillies came away without an out on the play.
That opened the door for Daniel Descalso, who knocked an RBI single through the hole on the right side after battling in a seven-pitch at-bat.
The crushing blow came two batters later, when Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt got a first-pitch hanging curveball from Casey Fien -- the second pitcher the Phillies used in the inning -- and split the gap in left-center field for a two-run double.
The Diamondbacks made it 5-1 on a Brandon Drury single.
"We've won some games where we haven't played our absolute best and won some close games," Goldschmidt said. "If you're going to win some games, you have to win them like that sometimes."
De La Rosa (3-1) was credited with the win after facing just one batter. Edubray Ramos (0-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits without retiring a batter.
Godley posted a career-high eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed one run on five hits and walked three.
"What more could you ask? I know he gave up one run," Lovullo said. "We kind of clipped him a little bit short and didn't let him finish that final inning, but it was time to hand it off to the bullpen, and make sure we did things to win the game. But once again, Zack was outstanding."
Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff also surrendered one run. He labored early and settled down in his later innings, pitching six total. He allowed five hits, walked three and struck out a pair.
"He had better command of his fastball and he threw really good curveballs," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He just located. That's a pretty good hitting team and to hold them to one run is pretty good."
It wasn't quite good enough.
Arizona, which opened the scoring on a Jake Lamb RBI single in the third inning, had a chance to add on to its lead in the sixth. With runners on second and third and one out, catcher Chris Iannetta drove an Eickhoff slider to left field. Aaron Altherr camped under it in left and delivered a strike to cut down Lamb at home and keep the Arizona lead at 1-0.
The Phillies tied it in the bottom of the inning on Knapp's sacrifice fly.
Philadelphia had two runners in scoring position with two outs in the third, fourth and seventh innings, but failed to come away with runs. Michael Saunders, with the bases loaded, had a line drive snared by Goldschmidt to end the seventh.
"It could have changed the whole game," Mackanin said.
After starting the season 11-9, the Phillies have lost 36 of 47.
The game started 50 minutes late because of rain.
NOTES: RHP Jerad Eickhoff became the first Phillies starting pitcher since 1997 (Matt Beech) to go winless in his first 14 starts. Beech was winless in his first 15. ... Arizona OF A.J. Pollock (strained right groin) made a rehab appearance at Triple-A Reno on Saturday. He was placed on the disabled list May 15. ... Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph extended his hitting streak to 13 games. ... LHP Robbie Ray (7-3, 2.62 ERA) takes the mound riding five straight wins Sunday against Phillies right-hander Ben Lively (1-1, 3.00) in a 1:35 p.m. start in Philadelphia.
