Game Forty-Two – Cubs 9, Diamondbacks 6
WP – Jason Motte (2-1) LP – Enrique Burgos (0-2) Save – Pedro Strop (1)
Jorge Soler tied the game in the eighth and Anthony Rizzo launched a three-run homer in the top of the ninth that broke a 6-6 tie on Saturday night as the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Anthony Rizzo (2-for-5 with a double, a home run and six RBI) tied a career high with six RBI on a three-run double in the fifth and a three-run homer in the ninth. Rizzo came within inches of the bases clearing double in the fifth from being a Grand Slam.
The Cubs fought back from two deficits Saturday night. After Jake Arrieta gave up a pair of runs in the first inning, the Cubs finally got to Rubby De La Rosa in the fifth. The Cubs scored four times on a Kris Bryant (1-for-4 with a stolen base, HBP, two runs scored and a RBI) hit by pitch with the bases loaded and an Anthony Rizzo bases clearing double.
Addison Russell (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) committed a very costly error in the bottom of the fifth that Jake Arrieta could not pitch around. After Russell’s error put two on with one out, Arrieta struck out Mark Trumbo before he walked Paul Goldschmidt. Arrieta loaded the bases and David Peralta cleared them with a double off the left center field wall. The Diamondbacks added a sixth run off Arrieta on a Tuffy Gosewisch solo homer in the sixth inning.
Jake Arrieta was not sharp Saturday night. Arrieta lasted only six innings and gave up six runs, three earned, on seven hits. Arrieta walked two and struck out seven on 92 pitches, 61 for strikes. Arrieta missed up the zone and when he did, the Diamondbacks pounded his mistakes. Arrieta turned the game over to the pen with the Cubs down by two runs.
To the Cubs credit, the team did not quit again and it was a two-out single from Starlin Castro (1-for-5 with a run scored) in the eighth inning that started the late-inning comeback.
After Castro singled to right, Chip Hale made a pitching change and replaced J.C. Ramirez with lefty Oliver Perez. Miguel Montero (0-for-4 with a HBP and a run scored) did not get out of the way of an inside pitch and took first base. Hale left Perez in to face Soler.
Jorge Soler (2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored) doubled to right center on a 3-2 pitch, his second opposite field hit of the night. Castro and Montero scored and tied the game at six.
The Cubs first six runs scored with two outs.
Joe Maddon shifted gears when the Cubs tied the game in the eighth. Edwin Jackson pitched a scoreless seventh thanks to an excellent catch by Dexter Fowler at the wall in center to end the inning. As soon as the Cubs tied the game, Chris Bosio got on the phone. Maddon used James Russell and Jason Motte to get through the eighth.
And Pedro Strop pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the year. The Cubs pen retired all 12 batters it faced Saturday night.
With Saturday’s win, the Cubs improved to 24-18 on the season.
Dexter Fowler walked in the first and extended his on-base streak to 15 games. After Bryant struck out swinging and Rizzo popped out to third, Fowler stole second with Castro at the plate. Starlin Castro struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Diamondbacks came out swinging in the first inning and put runs on the board against Arrieta. A.J. Pollock was caught looking. Mark Trumbo shot the first pitch he saw into the right field corner. Trumbo slid in safe at second with a double. Arrieta jumped ahead of Goldschmidt 0-2 before walking him.
David Peralta pulled Arrieta’s first pitch down the right field line. Rizzo made a sensational pick on a ball ticketed for the right field corner and got the out at first base. Trumbo and Goldschmidt moved up to second and third. Yasmany Tomas singled to right on a 2-1 pitch. And the Diamondbacks took a 2-0 lead on the two-run, two-out single. Aaron Hill tapped back to the mound to finally end the inning. Arrieta made 22 pitches, 14 for strikes, in the first inning.
The Diamondbacks had a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Jake Arrieta settled down after the first inning and kept the Diamondbacks off the board while his teammates tried to figure out Rubby De La Rosa.
Kris Bryant led off the fourth with a single to right, the Cubs first hit. Rizzo struck out swinging for the first out. Bryant stole second with Castro at the plate. Castro hit a grounder to short, Nick Ahmed fielded the ball and flipped to second. Bryant dove back in and was called out. Joe Maddon asked for the umps to take another look. The call was overturned and the Cubs had two on with one out. Montero grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Jake Arrieta faced the minimum in the fourth. Arrieta made 58 pitches, 41 for strikes, in four innings.
Jorge Soler singled to right to start the fifth. Chris Coghlan also singled to right. Jake Arrieta couldn’t get the bunt down and struck out swinging. Addison Russell walked to load the bases. But Fowler struck out swinging (2-2 pitch) for the second out.
Kris Bryant stepped in with the bases loaded and quickly fell behind 1-2. De La Rosa plunked Bryant on the fifth pitch of the at bat. Soler trotted in and the D-Backs lead was down to 2-1.
Anthony Rizzo drove the first pitch from De La Rosa deep to left. The ball appeared to leave the park, but it just slipped in the field of play. Coghlan, Russell and Bryant scored on Rizzo’s double and the Cubs took a 4-2 lead. Rizzo should have been at third with a triple. But it wouldn’t have mattered, Castro grounded out to short to end the inning.
Jake Arrieta took the hill in the fifth with a 4-2 lead … that was gone by the time he recorded the fourth out in the inning.
Nick Ahmed led off with a single to left center (2-1 pitch). De La Rosa popped up a bunt into foul ground. Montero caught the ball behind the plate for the first out. A.J. Pollock hit a routine grounder to short. Castro fielded the ball cleanly and flipped to Russell at the bag. Russell dropped the ball. Replays showed Russell had already stepped off the bag, even if he would have caught the ball Ahmed would have been safe.
Jake Arrieta struck out Trumbo swinging but walked Goldschmidt to load the bases.
David Peralta drove a 1-0 pitch into the gap in left center. The ball hit off the wall, all three runners scored and the D-Backs took a 5-4 lead. Arrieta struck out Tomas swinging to finally end the inning … 82 pitches for Arrieta after five innings, 55 for strikes.
The Cubs did nothing in the top of the sixth.
The Diamondbacks tacked on to the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Tuffy Gosewisch hit his first homer of the season to left and made it a 6-4 game. Arrieta gave up a deep fly out to Ahmed but no more runs in the inning.
The Diamondbacks led 6-4 after six innings.
J.C. Ramirez stayed in for the eighth inning after pitching a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Bryant (pop out to right) and Rizzo (ground out to short in the shift) made two quick outs.
Starlin Castro kept the inning going when he shot a ground ball through the right side.
Chip Hale decided that was enough for Ramirez and went to his pen for lefty Oliver Perez. Miguel Montero was hit by a pitch and put two on with two down for Soler.
Jorge Soler drove a 3-2 pitch into the gap in right central. Castro and Montero scored … game tied at six.
Hale switched out Perez with Daniel Hudson. After Chris Coghlan walked, Junior Lake batted for Edwin Jackson and stuck out swinging to end the inning. Lake broke the bat over his knee as he walked back toward the dugout.
James Russell and Jason Motte combined on a three up, three down eighth inning.
The game was tied at six after eight innings.
Enrique Burgos started the ninth for Arizona and struck out Russell swinging on a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Dexter Fowler singled to right center. And Kris Bryant reached on what was scored as an error on Tomas at third. Bryant smoked a 1-0 pitch toward the hole that Tomas got a glove on and deflected to short.
Anthony Rizzo stepped in and pulled a 1-1 pitch to deep right center. Rizzo’s mammoth three-run homer gave the Cubs a 9-6 lead. Castro and Montero struck out swinging to end the inning.
Pedro Strop pitched a perfect ninth … and the Cubs won a game at Chase Field.
Jason Hammel takes on Jeremy Hellickson in the series finale on Sunday afternoon (3:10pm CDT).