PHILADELPHIA -- Maybe David Bell can start to relax -- just a little.
Bell, stuck in a season-long slump, hit a go-ahead double in a three-run seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 on Thursday.
"The hits haven't been coming real easy," said Bell, batting .209 after signing a $17 million, four-year contract with Philadelphia in the offseason.
"It is not easy. It's not something that I accept. It's frustrating, but all I can do is keep playing and try to do things to help the team win. But it feels good to win a big game."
Bobby Abreu and Ricky Ledee hit solo home runs for the Phillies, who snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided being swept for the first time this season.
Matt Williams and Chad Moeller homered for Arizona, which had won three straight. Lyle Overbay hit a two-run double.
With Philadelphia trailing 4-3, Jimmy Rollins led off the seventh with a double and was sacrificed to third by Placido Polanco. After Jim Thome was walked intentionally, Rollins scored the tying run on a wild pitch by reliever Oscar Villarreal (3-3). Pat Burrell walked and Mike Myers came in to retire Abreu on a popup.
Mike Koplove, who grew up near Veterans Stadium, relieved and was greeted by Bell's run-scoring double to left. Ledee was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Koplove walked Todd Pratt to force in Burrell.
"It just wasn't a good outing for me," said Koplove, who still has not permitted an earned run in 11 outings (12 1/3 innings) on the road this season.
"I missed on the ball Bell hit, then I got frustrated and walked a few guys."
Rheal Cormier (1-0) pitched the seventh for the Phillies, extending his NL-leading scoreless streak to 17 1/3 innings.
"I'm just trying to come in and throw strikes, put the ball in play, and try to use my defense," said Cormier who has not allowed a run since getting roughed up in his season debut April 5 at Florida.
Turk Wendell, who worked the eighth, has yet to allow a run in 14 innings this season.
"Cormier and Wendell are pitching lights out right now," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said.
Jose Mesa got three outs for his 12th save in 14 opportunities, retiring Moeller on a game-ending double play with two on.
Arizona starter Elmer Dessens went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits and a season-high six walks. Diamondbacks pitchers tied a club record (set four other times) with 10 bases on balls.
"Walks, walks - I'm not really not sure why, either," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "It's not characteristic for either Dessens or Oscar and we never worry about Koplove. Those walks will get you, especially late in the ballgame."
Phillies starter Randy Wolf, who pitched a five-hit shutout against Houston in his last start, allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. He had a season-high nine strikeouts and walked one.
Williams led off the second inning with his fourth home run, hitting Wolf's 2-2 pitch into the lower left-field stands.
Wolf helped himself by walking with the bases loaded to force in Abreu with the tying run in the bottom of the second. Abreu hit a one-out double and David Bell walked. Dessens fanned Ledee but walked Pratt and Wolf before retiring Rollins on a grounder.
The Diamondbacks went ahead 3-1 in the fourth when Wolf hit Carlos Baerga with a pitch and walked Luis Gonzalez to start the inning. Both scored on Overbay's one-out double into the left-center gap.
Abreu led off the fourth with his sixth home run into the right-field seats off Dessens. But Arizona increased its lead to 4-2 when Moeller led off the fifth with his career-high fourth homer off Wolf.
Ledee hit his fourth homer to left field off Villarreal in the sixth.
Notes
- Arizona CF Steve Finley, who is 0-for-13 lifetime against Wolf, did not start but entered in the sixth inning.
- Williams' home run was his 20th at Veterans Stadium, moving into 20th place among visiting players. It was his third home run and fifth RBI in 12 career at-bats against Wolf.
- Arizona played its last regular-season game at the Vet and finished 13-12 all-time. The Phillies will move to a new stadium next April.
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