Game One Hundred Thirty-Three – Cubs 14, Diamondbacks 5
WP – Jon Lester (9-10) LP – Zack Godley (4-1) Save – None
Addison Russell went deep twice. Anthony Rizzo smacked the second Grand Slam of his career. And Javier Baez launched a two-run shot. The Cubs crushed four home runs on a day with the wind blowing in, walked a season-high eight times and scored eight unearned runs in the fifth in route to beating the Diamondbacks on Friday afternoon.
The Cubs had the right approach against a shaky Zack Godley in the first inning. The Cubs scored three runs in the opening inning, the first two on bases loaded walks by Kris Bryant (1-for-3 with a walk, a RBI and a run scored) and Javier Baez (3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, three RBI and three runs scored). David Ross (1-for-4 with a double, a sac fly RBI and a run scored) plated the third run with a sac fly.
Addison Russell (2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, three RBI and three runs scored) played longball in the second and fourth innings before the Cubs blew the game open with an eight-run fifth inning. Russell recorded the first multi-homer game of his career Friday afternoon. Russell launched a solo shot in the second and a two-run blast in the fourth.
An error by Nick Ahmed opened the door for the Cubs in the fifth. The Cubs scored eight unearned runs, all with two outs, with Anthony Rizzo (2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, four RBI and two runs scored) delivering the big hit, a Grand Slam to right, and Javier Baez going deep for the first time in the majors this season after Austin Jackson (1-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored) kept the inning going with a two-out RBI single to right.
Javier Baez collected three hits and a walk in five plate appearances. Baez started at second base and finished the game at third. Joe Maddon started emptying his bench in the sixth inning. Baez replaced Kris Bryant as Maddon got a majority of his regulars a breather.
Javier Baez had three hits and a walk without a strikeout. The Cubs starting middle infielders of Baez and Addison Russell were a combined 5-for-7 with three home runs, two walks, six RBI and four runs scored.
The Cubs scored 14 runs on 12 hits (four home runs) with a season-high eight walks. And the eight runs in the fifth inning marked a season-high for runs scored in a single inning.
Jon Lester had a solid outing. Lester did not get the calls on several close pitches. Lester ran up his pitch count through five innings. But after an eight-run bottom of the fifth, there was no reason to run him back out there. Lester made the pitches when he needed to early in the game against a very good offensive team without Paul Goldschmidt.
Jon Lester allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Lester made 91 pitches, 59 for strikes, in five innings.
Jon Lester (0-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored) was in the middle of the action offensively and scored the first two runs of his career. Lester walked to start the fourth and was on board for Russell’s two run shot. Lester reached on an error by Nick Ahmed that prolonged the fifth inning. Lester scored on a bases loaded walk by Chris Coghlan (1-for-3 with two walks, a RBI and a run scored).
Justin Grimm pitched a scoreless sixth in relief of Lester.
Tommy Hunter struggled in the seventh and served up a two-run homer to Jake Lamb. Tsuyoshi Wada was charged with an unearned run in the eight. And Travis Wood labored through a 31-pitch ninth inning with his team leading by nine runs.
With Friday’s win, the Cubs improved to 76-57 on the season.
Jon Lester began his day by setting the Diamondbacks down in order.
Dexter Fowler walked and set the tone for the first inning. After Austin Jackson struck out swinging, Chris Coghlan blooped a 2-2 pitch into left for a single. Fowler advanced to second. Anthony Rizzo walked (3-1 pitch) to load the bases.
Kris Bryant took a 3-2 pitch for ball four, Fowler trotted in and the Cubs took a 1-0 lead. Javier Baez showed patience and also worked a walk. Coghlan scored, 2-0 Cubs. With the bases loaded and one out, David Ross flied out to right. Rizzo tagged and scored, 3-0 Cubs. Jon Lester rolled out to second for the third out. Zack Godley made 35 pitches in the first inning, 16 for strikes.
After one complete, the Cubs led 3-0.
Lester labored through the second inning but wiggled out of a jam. An infield single by David Peralta and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Lester struck out Zack Godley swinging to end the inning. Lester threw 39 pitches, 26 for strikes, in the first two innings.
Addison Russell gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead second. Russell hit a booming homer through the wind and into the left field bleachers. Fowler was called out on strikes and Jackson broke his bat on a grounder back to Godley. Coghlan grounded out to second for the third out. Godley showed improvement in the second and recorded three outs while giving up a run on 11 pitches (47 total, 23 for strikes).
The Cubs had a 4-0 lead after two innings.
Welington Castillo started the fourth inning with a double to left. Lester retired Peralta (flyout to center) and Yasmany Tomas (bouncer to third). Chris Owings worked a 3-1 count before smacking a double off the vines in left. Castillo scored, 4-1 Cubs. Nick Ahmed flied out to left to end the inning … 74 pitches for Lester after four innings, 48 for strikes.
Jon Lester took a four-pitch walk to start the fourth. And his shortstop helped him out in more than one way.
Addison Russell hit a bullet through the win on a 3-2 pitch. The ball ended up in the stands in left center. Russell gave the Cubs a 6-1 lead with his second longball of the game.
Dexter Fowler was called out on strikes and Jackson flied out to center. Godley walked Coghlan and Chip Hale could not leave him in any longer. Hale replaced Godley with Enrique Burgos.
Anthony Rizzo singled to right (2-2 pitch) and Bryant stepped in with runners on the corners and two outs. Bryant grounded out to third for the final out.
The Cubs had a 6-1 lead after four innings.
Brandon Drury hit for Burgos to start the fifth and ripped a single into center. Ender Inciarte tried to bunt his way on. But he bunted too hard and right to Bryant. Drury was forced at second. Inciarte stole second on the first pitch to Gosselin and swiped third on a 2-1 pitch to Gosselin. Lester could not finish off the D-Backs’ third baseman. Phil Gosselin pulled a 3-2 pitch down the third baseline. The ball hit the bag, ended up in left. Inciarte scored easily … 6-2 Cubs. Pollock flied out to right. Welington Castillo fouled out to Rizzo (1-2 pitch) to end the inning.
Chip Hale called on A.J. Schugel for the fifth inning. Javier Baez led off with a single to right (2-2 pitch). On a 0-1 pitch to Ross, Baez took off for second. Baez was called out on a bang-bang play. Maddon did not challenge the call. David Ross drove a 1-1 pitch to deep right. The ball hit on the track and hopped in the basket for a ground rule double. Jon Lester grounded a 1-0 pitch back up the middle that Nick Ahmed booted. Lester reached and the Cubs had runners on the corners with one out.
Addison Russell walked and loaded the bases. Fowler popped out to left. The ball was not hit deep enough for Ross to tag.
Austin Jackson singled to right. Ross scored, 7-2 Cubs. With the bases loaded, Chris Coghlan walked (3-2 pitch). Lester jogged in and made it an 8-2 game.
Anthony Rizzo unloaded on a 1-1 pitch from Schugel. Rizzo hit the second grand slam of his career three-quarters the way up the bleachers in right … and the Cubs took a 12-2 lead.
Kris Bryant reached on an infield single to third. And Hale went back to his bullpen for Silvino Bracho.
Javier Baez pulled a 0-2 pitch through the wind and into the bleachers in left. Baez’s first big league homer of the season, a two-run shot, put the Cubs up 14-2. Ross flied out to right center to end the inning.
The Cubs had a 14-2 lead after five innings … all eight unearned runs in the fifth scored with two outs.
Justin Grimm put a zero on the board in the sixth and Silvino Bracho struck out the Cubs in order in the sixth.
Tommy Hunter made his way to the hill for the seventh and struggled again. Hunter made quick work of Oscar Hernandez (swinging strikeout) and Inciarte (grounder to first). Phil Gosselin singled to right. Jake Lamb pulled a 2-1 pitch from Hunter into the bleachers in right … 14-4 Cubs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia single to right (3-2 pitch). The inning finally came to an end when Peralta grounded out to Baez at third.
The Cubs managed a Matt Szczur single to right with two down in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Starlin Castro struck out swinging to end the inning.
It was 14-4 Cubs after seven innings.
The Diamondbacks scored again in the eighth. Tsuyoshi Wada replaced Hunter and Jonathan Herrera made a terrific play on a ball ticketed for center to take away a hit from Tomas. Herrera booted the next grounder hit his way. Chris Owings reached and scored on a triple off the vines in left by Nick Ahmed. Hernandez grounded out to Wada for the second out. And Inciarte grounded out to Coghlan at first base to end the inning.
The Cubs did nothing against Matt Stites in the eighth. And Travis Wood was called on for the ninth with the Cubs leading 14-5. Wood was good enough to get through the ninth inning while throwing 31 pitches and not allowing the Diamondbacks to score.
Jake Arrieta faces Robbie Ray in game two with the Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon (1:20pm CDT).