PHILADELPHIA — The Diamondbacks tore onto the field, sprinting through the Philadelphia night. They overlapped with the group that lost 110 games two years ago. They were nearly identical to the group that was under .500 in August. They were the same group that trailed, 2-0, in this series, their obituary drafted and ready for publication. On Tuesday night, they were National League champions.

They got there with a 4-2 win over the Phillies in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. The game, like the six that came before it, was not easy. But critically, they landed the first blow, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Christian Walker’s RBI groundout. They have not lost from a leading position in these playoffs.

They did surrender that lead by the fourth inning, when Brandon Pfaadt exited having allowed two runs in his four innings. But the offense came roaring back. In the fifth, Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno each hit RBI singles to restore the lead. In the seventh, Carroll added to it with a sacrifice fly.

Meanwhile, the bullpen was in control. Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank and Kevin Ginkel combined to bridge the gap from Pfaadt’s exit to closer Paul Sewald in the ninth.

Sewald did the rest. He got a lazy flyout from Nick Castellanos. Then Brandon Marsh flied out to the warning track in left. Finally, Jake Cave flied out to right.

And now, the Diamondbacks are where no one thought they could be.

Nick Piecoro's analysis: The team nobody saw coming are NL champions

Kevin Ginkel puts Diamondbacks on doorstep of World Series

PHILADELPHIA — The numbers looked concerning for Kevin Ginkel. Pitching on no rest this season, he had just a 4.91 ERA. And here, in Game 7 of the NLCS, he was being asked to retire five Phillies and bridge the gap to Paul Sewald in the ninth inning.

Ginkel, though, passed his test with flying colors. The Diamondbacks, who lead 4-2, are three outs away from the World Series.

After getting Trea Turner and Bryce Harper to fly out to end the seventh inning, Ginkel struck out the side in the eighth. He needed just 14 pitches to retire Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto in order.

—Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks escape jam in seventh, still lead Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Ginkel entered the seventh inning with a perilous situation on his hands. Thanks to a pair of walks issued by Andrew Saalfrank, he had runners on first and second with one out for Trea Turner and Bryce Harper.

Ginkel, though, came through in a big way, getting both Phillies’ stars to fly out to center field. The Diamondbacks, who hold a 4-2 lead, are now six outs away from their first World Series berth in 22 years.

—Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks extend lead with seventh inning rally

PHILADELPHIA — The loudest stadium in baseball was stunned into yet another moment of silence Thursday night. With Corbin Carroll’s sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning, the Diamondbacks now lead the Phillies, 4-2.

After Emmanuel Rivera led off the inning with a groundout, Phillies manager Rob Thomson summoned the left-handed Jose Alvarado to face Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte and Carroll. The move did not work.

Perdomo, a switch hitter who is weaker from the right side, singled anyway. Marte, a switch hitter who is stronger from the right side, doubled into right field after striking out in his first three at-bats. And Carroll moved the run across, driving a flyout to right field.

—Theo Mackie

Diamondbacks clinging to narrow lead in late innings

PHILADELPHIA — The Diamondbacks are nine outs away from the World Series. From down 2-0 in this series and 1-0 in this game, that’s where they stand Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, where they lead the Phillies, 3-2, after six innings.

Joe Mantiply, Arizona’s first reliever of the game, allowed a lead-off double to Kyle Schwarber in the fifth inning but it’s been smooth sailing since then. He and Ryan Thompson combined to finish that frame without so much as letting Schwarber reach third. Thompson then retired the Phillies in order in the sixth.

—Theo Mackie

Corbin Carroll helps Diamondbacks take lead with third hit

PHILADELPHIA — Corbin Carroll endured a frustrating start to this series, recording just three hits in the first six games. He has already matched that total in Game 7, helping the Diamondbacks take a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.

Emmanuel Rivera led off the inning with a single up the middle and Geraldo Perdomo bunted him over. After Ketel Marte struck out swinging, Carroll provided the big two-out hit, grounding his third single of the night past second base and into center field to plate Rivera.

Carroll then stole second base for the second time in the game. The aggressiveness proved critical when Carroll came around to score on Gabriel Moreno's single a batter later. Prior to Tuesday, Carroll had not attempted a steal in the series.

—Theo Mackie

Phillies take lead off Brandon Pfaadt in fourth

PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Pfaadt has completely silenced the Phillies’ three most dangerous hitters early in Game 7, but the middle of Philadelphia’s order has proven problematic. They lead, 2-1, after four innings.

In the second inning, cleanup hitter Alec Bohm hit a towering home run to put the Phillies on the board. In the fourth, Pfaadt’s night got worse. He walked Bohm on five pitches and allowed him to score on an opposite-field double from Bryson Stott. J.T. Realmuto then singled, though Stott was unable to score on the play.

Pfaadt, though, was able to stop the damage there. He struck out Nick Castellanos for the second time in the game before walking Brandon Marsh on four pitches. With the bases loaded and two outs, he was able to get Johan Rojas swinging to end the inning.

Pfaadt, whose day is likely done with the top of the Phillies’ order due up for a third time in the fifth, has racked up seven strikeouts while walking two and giving up four hits.

—Theo Mackie

Alec Bohm’s homer ties it up at 1

PHILADELPHIA — Alec Bohm blasted the first pitch he saw from Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt in the bottom of the second inning into the left field seats to tie Game 7 of the National League Championship Series at 1-1 at Citizens Bank Park.

It was a shocking swing from a hitter who had been struggling badly throughout the series. Bohm was 6 for 22 but had only one extra-base hit and had failed to come through in numerous situations.

The home run also reignited the sellout crowd, which had turned tepid after the Diamondbacks’ early run and Pfaadt’s strong first inning, in which he retired the side in order, striking out both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

—Nick Piecoro

Diamondbacks take early lead in Game 7

PHILADELPHIA — The Diamondbacks scored the first run of Game 7 in the top of the first inning on Tuesday night, with Christian Walker’s broken-bat ground ball bringing home Corbin Carroll from third.

The Diamondbacks lead, 1-0, after a half inning at Citizens Bank Park.

Carroll reached with one out by grounding an infield single to second against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez. He was running from first when Gabriel Moreno lined a single to right and took third on the play.

Walker then hit a bouncer to third that was hit too slowly to be a double play, allowing Carroll to come home.

—Nick Piecoro

Zac Gallen ‘going to be available’ in Game 7

PHILADELPHIA — Game 7 of the National League Championship Series will be close to an “all hands on deck” situation for the Diamondbacks — and that includes No. 1 starter Zac Gallen.

“He came in last night, and he said, ‘You need me, I’m ready to go,’” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I really appreciated that. That’s what this team does. It’s an all-for-one mentality.”

Gallen told reporters the same thing on Monday night before he had a chance to stop by Lovullo’s office.

“If it’s something they want to do, I’ll be ready,” Gallen said. “I didn’t play like a super long catch today and tomorrow is my side day. If they ask me to, I’ll be ready.”

He said the last time he pitched on short rest was during his college days at North Carolina. He struggled in a start against Duke, failing to get out of the first inning, and he remembers pitching in a midweek game not long after.

“A little bigger stage, a little brighter lights, a little bit more adrenaline probably,” Gallen said of Game 7.

Lovullo said he was unsure how, or even if, he would use Gallen, though he did say he did not expect to use fellow starter Merrill Kelly, who pitched on Monday night.

“Is he part of the game plan? I don’t know that answer,” Lovullo said of Gallen. “But if we need him at some point, whether it’s in the game plan or late innings, extra innings, he’s going to be available to us. That really gets me excited.”

—Nick Piecoro

More Snakes: Diamondbacks get to experience the best two words in sports: Game 7

Diamondbacks-Phillies pitching matchup for NLCS Game 7

Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 2.13) vs. Phillies LHP Ranger Suarez (1-0, 0.64).

This is a rematch of Game 3, which the Diamondbacks won 2-1 on Ketel Marte's walk-off single. ... Pfaadt threw his second consecutive strong playoff outing, allowing no runs and 2 hits in 5 2/3 innings with a career-high 9 strikeouts. ... That followed a 4 1/3-inning stint in Game 3 of the NLDS in which he allowed the Dodgers no runs and 2 hits with 2 strikeouts. ... Suarez was also effective in his NLCS start at Chase Field, giving up no runs and 3 hits in 5 1/3 innings with 7 strikeouts. ... The lefty has pitched to a 0.64 ERA in three postseason outings with 13 strikeouts.

NLCS schedule, results

All games on TBS

Game 1: Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 3: Gallen hit hard in 5 innings, allowing 3 homers

Game 2: Phillies 10, Diamondbacks 0: Kelly allows 3 homers as DBacks get shut out

Game 3: Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1: Ketel Marte walks 'em off with RBI single

Game 4: Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 5: Thomas, Gabriel fuel 3-run rally in 8th inning

Game 5: Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 1: Phillies feast on Gallen again

Game 6: Diamondbacks 5, Phillies 1: DBacks' bats come alive vs. Nola

Game 7: Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 2: DBacks win series 4-3, advance to World Series

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks defeat Philadelphia Phillies to advance to World Series