Game One Hundred Thirty-Five – Cubs 6, Diamondbacks 4
WP – Justin Grimm (3-4) LP – Rubby De La Rosa (12-7) Save – None
Kris Bryant tied the game at one with the longest homer in the big leagues this season in the fifth inning. Miguel Montero broke a 1-1 tie with a Grand Slam in the sixth off lefty Matt Reynolds and Jonathan Herrera smacked a pinch-hit homer as the Cubs completed the three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon at the old ballyard.
Kris Bryant (1-for-3 with a home run, a walk and two runs scored) led off the fifth with the Cubs’ first hit of the game. Bryant annihilated a 0-2 pitch from Rubby De La Rosa. The ball hit high off the left field scoreboard and his 23rd longball of the season tied the game at one. Bryant’s blast traveled an estimated 495 feet, the longest home run hit in the majors this year.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth after Bryant’s blast but could not push across the go ahead run.
Miguel Montero (2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and four RBI) gave the Cubs the lead for good in the sixth. The Cubs loaded the bases again after a Chris Coghlan (1-for-4 with a run scored) single and back-to-back walks by Anthony Rizzo (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) and Kris Bryant. Chip Hale made his second pitching change of the inning and brought in lefty Matt Reynolds. Miguel Montero went oppo for his third career Grand Slam, the Cubs second of the weekend.
Jonathan Herrera (1-for-1 with a home run) capped the five-run sixth inning with a solo homer to the basket in right.
After not managing a hit for the first four innings, the Cubs scored six runs on three homers in the fourth and fifth innings. Austin Jackson (1-for-4 with a double), Addison Russell (1-for-4), Chris Denorfia (1-for-1 with a double) and Javier Baez (1-for-4) also collected hits Sunday.
Kyle Hendricks made a solid start Sunday. Hendricks allowed one run over five innings on a day the wind was blowing out at Wrigley. Hendricks struggled with throwing strikes but was able to make a pitch when he needed it. The defense stepped up behind Hendricks and the Cubs seemed to take advantage of the Diamondbacks aggressiveness on the bases.
Kyle Hendricks gave up one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Hendricks made 75 pitches, 48 for strikes, in five innings.
Justin Grimm and Fernando Rodney hung zeros on the board in the sixth and seventh inning. Trevor Cahill was lights out in the eighth. Cahill started the ninth after a 1-2-3 eighth on seven pitches. Cahill served up a solo homer to Welington Castillo and issued a two out walk to Chris Owings. Joe Maddon went to Pedro Strop for the final out. And Nick Ahmed cranked a two-run homer to left. Stop struck out pinch-hitter Phil Gosselin to end the game.
The Cubs defense had a tremendous day and was the difference while the offense tried to figure out Rubby De La Rosa. Miguel Montero threw out a runner at second. The Cubs turned two double plays. Addison Russell and Javier Baez made several difficult plays look rather routine and Kyle Hendricks picked off Ender Inciarte from first base to end the fifth.
The Cubs wrapped up the six-game homestand with a 4-2 record after winning all three games and completing the sweep of the D-Backs. The Cubs finished the six-game season series 4-2 against Arizona.
With Sunday’s win (14-9 on Sunday in 2015), the Cubs improved to 78-57 on the season.
Kyle Hendricks started the fourth inning of a scoreless game by retiring Paul Goldschmidt on a flyout to right. Hendricks walked David Peralta, second free pass of the game by Hendricks. Welington Castillo pulled a 0-1 pitch into the left field corner. Peralta scored, 1-0 Diamondbacks. Hendricks struck out Jake Lamb swinging. Chris Owings rolled out to Russell at short to end the inning. Hendricks made 68 pitches, 42 for strikes, in the first four innings.
The Cubs did nothing against Rubby De La Rosa in the fourth … 51 pitches for De La Rosa after four, 34 for strikes.
While the Cubs were looking for their first hit, the Diamondbacks led 1-0 after four innings.
Kyle Hendricks worked around a mistake in the fifth inning and kept the Diamondbacks from adding to their lead. Nick Ahmed grounded out to second for the first out. Hendricks struck out De La Rosa swinging on a ball in the dirt. De La Rosa reached first base after the ball squirted under Montero’s legs. Ender Inciarte hit a smash back up the middle that Baez fielded and flipped from his glove to Russell for the out. Addison’s throw to first was late on the speedy Inciarte. Hendricks picked off Inciarte (1-3-6-3) from first base to end the inning. Hendricks made 75 pitches, 48 for strikes, in five innings.
Kris Bryant led off the fifth and crushed a 0-2 pitch from De La Rosa. Bryant launched his 23rd homer of the season high off the left field video board. The ball traveled 495 feet and tied the game at one.
Miguel Montero followed Bryant’s blast with a single to center (3-2 pitch) and Javier Baez singled to left. Maddon sent up Tommy La Stella to hit for Hendricks with first and second and no outs. Paul Goldschmidt made a diving stop in the hole, and threw to De La Rosa at first for the out. La Stella was robbed of a hit and RBI on a ball that was ticketed for right field. With runners on second and third, Addison Russell reached on an infield single to third. Lamb fielded the ball toward the hole and by the time he looked Montero back to third, a hustling Russell beat the throw.
With the bases loaded and one out, Rubby De La Rosa struck out Dexter Fowler (2-2 pitch) swinging for the second out. And Austin Jackson went down swinging (2-2 pitch) to end the inning. De La Rosa reached back with upper-90s fastballs to get out of the jam in the fifth … 82 pitches, 55 for strikes, for De La Rosa after five innings.
The Cubs and D-Backs were tied at one at the end of five innings.
Justin Grimm faced the minimum in the sixth. Grimm issued a leadoff walk to A.J. Pollock. Paul Goldschmidt lined out to right as Pollock took off for second base. Austin Jackson doubled him off first base and Peralta popped out to Russell for the third out.
Chris Coghlan worked a full count against De La Rosa before ripping a single into center to start the sixth. Anthony Rizzo walked on four pitches. Chip Hale decided that was enough for De La Rosa and went to his pen for Enrique Burgos.
The D-Backs wanted nothing to do with Bryant in his first at bat after the titanic blast and walked him. With the bases loaded, Hale made the slow walk and replaced Burgos with lefty Matt Reynolds.
Miguel Montero drove a 1-0 pitch to deep left. The ball landed a couple of rows up in the bleachers … and his third career Grand Slam gave the Cubs a 5-1 lead.
Wrigley went wild and Montero made a curtain call after he grabbed Kyle Schwarber’s cap to waive at the crowd. While the old ballyard was still buzzing, Hale made another pitching change. Silvino Bracho took over for Reynolds and Baez flied out to deep left.
Jonathan Herrera pinch-hit for Justin Grimm and pulled Bracho’s first pitch into the basket in right field. Herrera’s second home run of the season gave the Cubs a 6-1 lead. Russell and Fowler struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Cubs led 6-1 after six innings.
Fernando Rodney put the first two batters on in the seventh before he got dialed in. After a leadoff single from Castillo and a walk to Jake Lamb, Rodney struck out Owings and Ahmed swinging. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit for Bracho and lined out to Russell behind second base to end the inning.
Austin Jackson greeted Josh Collmenter with a double to left center. Chris Coghlan flied out to deep left. Jackson tagged and went to third on Coghlan’s productive out. Rizzo tapped back to the mound and Bryant fouled out to Inciarte down the right field line, just before he bumped the sidewall, to end the inning.
Trevor Cahill pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning on seven pitches and the Cubs went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
The Cubs had a 6-1 lead after eight innings.
Trevor Cahill stayed in for the ninth. Cahill caught Peralta looking for the first out. Welington Castillo homered to left center … and made it a 6-2 game. Cahill struck out Jake Lamb. But Cahill walked Chris Owings and forced Maddon to bring in Pedro Strop.
Nick Ahmed lifted a homer to left. And his two-run shot off Strop cut the Cubs lead to two runs. Maddon had Hector Rondon get up and get ready. Strop struck out pinch-hitter Phil Gosselin swinging to end the game.
The Cubs kick off an 11-game road trip Monday afternoon (1:15pm CDT) with the first of three in St. Louis … Dan Haren against Lance Lynn in game one with the Cardinals.