Bryce Harper reaches base 5 times, Phillies beat the Diamondbacks 7-1 for 6th straight win

PHOENIX (AP) — Bryce Harper reached base five times, Jesús Luzardo threw 6 2/3 quality innings and the Philadelphia Phillies won their sixth straight game by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Tuesday night.

The surging Phillies have won 15 of their last 17 and are now just three games behind the Atlanta Braves for the NL East lead.

Harper had four singles, including one on a surprise bunt in the first inning. The nine-time All-Star also walked, scored a run and drove in another, starting September with a terrific performance after slashing .333/.496/.573 in August.

Luzardo (13-5) gave up one run on six hits and a walk while striking out six. The hard-throwing lefty has a 1.32 ERA over his lasts six starts — joining Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez for arguably baseball's best starting rotation.

The Phillies never trailed, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Trea Turner hit an RBI double off the center-field wall in the first while Alec Bohm's run-scoring single made it 3-1 in the fifth.

The D-backs cut the margin to 3-1 on Jordan Lawlar's solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. The Phillies put the game away with a three-run eighth inning and another run in the ninth.

Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (14-5) needed 103 pitches to get through five innings. The All-Star gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out three.

The D-backs missed an opportunity to gain ground in the NL wild-card race. They're still a half-game behind the San Diego Padres for the final playoff spot.

The Phillies send RHP Andrew Painter (3-8, 5.95 ERA) to the mound on Wednesday for the final game of the series. The D-backs haven't named a starter.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill makes a diving catch on a line drive hit by Arizona Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez pauses on the pitcher's mound during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Philadelphia Phillies' Trea Turner (7) celebrates his run scored against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Phillies' J.T. Realmuto during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber, right, celebrates his run scored against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Phillies' Bryce Harper (3) during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top diplomat said Wednesday that an attempted attack on a German airport blamed on Russia appears to be “state sponsored terrorism,” as EU countries weighed their response.

The German government on Tuesday blamed Russia for the attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4 using a drone laden with explosives and announced it would shut down a Russian consulate among other measures.

The drone was found near a Ukrainian plane and the device was defused. German officials said at the time that the incident posed a new level of danger.

“It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters before chairing a meeting of the bloc’s defense ministers in Ireland.

Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations.

The EU already is planning to impose sanctions on more people over Russia’s war on Ukraine and has “in the pipeline 1,600 listings for the military complex of Russia, and maybe there are more to be added,” Kallas said.

The nature of the attempted attack and its attribution to Russia appear to warrant a new approach from the EU and perhaps NATO, but the member nations remain cautious about being dragged into open conflict with the nuclear armed country.

The EU has slapped almost two dozen packages of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine, targeting roughly 3,000 people and entities, including President Vladimir Putin, several oligarchs who back him and scores of Russian lawmakers.

Russian banks and financial institutions have been hit, as well as hundreds of ships that make up a shadow fleet illicitly shipping oil to fuel Putin’s war effort, and many companies, notably energy firms and drone manufacturers.

The measures mostly concern asset freezes and travel bans. People and companies in countries considered backers of Russia are also on the EU list, including from Belarus, China, Iran and North Korea.

Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul speak to the media during a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, about the attempted attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport last month with a drone loaded with explosives.(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)