PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryson Stott hit a grand slam, Aaron Nola pitched seven scoreless innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 7-1 on Wednesday night for a two-game sweep of their NL Wild Card Series.
After making quick work of the surprising Marlins, it’s time for an anticipated rematch.
J.T. Realmuto also homered as the Phillies advanced to another best-of-five NL Division Series against Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and the Braves. Game 1 is Saturday in Atlanta.
The NL champion Phillies finished third last season in the NL East at 87-75, a full 14 games behind the 101-win Braves, only to beat them in four games in the NLDS.
Stott’s homer in the sixth was the second postseason grand slam in franchise history. Nola, who is eligible for free agency after the World Series, allowed three hits, struck out three and walked one.
Miami scored in the ninth on Josh Bell’s RBI single.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Zac Gallen settled down after a shaky start and Arizona’s bullpen stepped up at the very end, helping the Diamondbacks sweep their NL Wild Card Series against the Brewers.
Just two years after suffering through a 110-loss season, Arizona moved into the franchise’s first NL Division Series since 2017. The Diamondbacks will take on the NL West champion Dodgers in the opener of their best-of-five series on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The NL Central champion Brewers have dropped nine of their last 10 playoff games, a stretch that started with their Game 7 home loss to the Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series.
Ketel Marte put Arizona ahead for good with a two-run single during a four-run rally in the sixth inning as Milwaukee right-hander…