Cubs Commit Three Errors, Lose To Diamondbacks 6-4
Chicago Cubs' starter Ryan Dempster allowed 10 hits over his seven innings pitched, but didn't get a lot of help from his defense. The Cubs committed three errors and lost by a final score of 6-4.
Chris Young drove in two runs, scored twice and made a pair of nice catches in center field as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 Wednesday.
Arizona ended its eight-game losing streak against the Cubs.
Armando Galarraga (1-0) won in his first career NL start, giving up five hits and four runs in 7 1-3 innings. J.J. Putz pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
Gerardo Parra had three hits and scored a run and Miguel Montero hit his second homer of the season for the Diamondbacks.
Alfonso Soriano hit his third homer of the season and Aramis Ramirez hit his second for Chicago.
Ryan Dempster (0-2) gave up five runs - four earned - and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter.
The Diamondbacks return Phoenix for Friday's home opener against Cincinnati.
After the Cubs tied it in the fourth, Arizona scored three times in the fifth.
Willie Bloomquist singled to drive home Parra, who led off the inning with a double to right. Bloomquist scored on a defensive lapse by Soriano.
Young lifted a flyball into the left-field corner, which Soriano tracked to the wall. But the ball glanced off his glove as he reached the yet-to-bloom ivy. The play was scored a double. Young went to third when a relay throw got away from Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, who was charged with an error on the play, and scored on Kelly Johnson's double.
The Cubs committed three errors on the day.
Trailing 6-3 in the eighth, the Cubs loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Tyler Colvin bounced out to first base, scoring a run. With two outs and runners on second and third, Arizona reliever Juan Gutierrez struck out Soriano, spurring another round of boos for the embattled slugger.
Galarraga made his debut for Arizona after being acquired in the offseason from Detroit. He retired the first nine Cubs, gave up a single to Byrd leading off the fourth.
Ramirez then turned on the first pitch he saw from Galarraga and lofted it into the basket in left-center for his first homer of the season, tying the game at 2.
The Diamondbacks broke on top in a third inning defined by aggressive play by both teams, with varying results.
Parra led off the frame with a looping drive that landed just beyond the glove of Cubs second baseman Blake DeWitt, who recovered to throw out Parra trying to stretch the hit into a double.
One batter later, Bloomquist singled and stole second. It was Arizona's eighth stolen base of the season in five games, the fastest the Diamondbacks have reached that mark in franchise history.
Young then followed with a sinking drive to center. Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd, in an effort to save the run, raced in and reached for a shoestring catch. He came up short and the ball rolled well behind him.
Soriano bobbled the ball while backing up Byrd. That allowed Young to score. The play was scored a triple. An error was charged to Soriano.
Montero added an insurance run for the Diamondbacks with a solo homer in the eighth off Cubs reliever John Grabow.
Young helped keep the Cubs at bay with a pair of nice catches. He robbed the Cubs' first batter, Kosuke Fukudome, with a diving catch in the left-center gap in the first. In the fourth, he ran down Colvin's drive at the wall, snagging it backhanded before crashing into the wall.
NOTES: The Cubs announced that starting pitchers Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner would be placed on the 15-day disabled list with arm-related injuries. Wells has a mild muscule strain in his right forearm, while Cashner has a slight strain at the back of his right rotator cuff. No timetable has been established for their return. Diamondbacks manger Kirk Gibson said shortstop Stephen Drew (lower abdominal strain) may be able to start in Arizona's home opener on Friday against Cincinnati. Drew has been relegated to pinch-hitting duty so far this season. Also relegated to pinch-hitting is Chicago first baseman Carlos Pena, who has a right thumb strain. Cubs manager Mike Quade said Pena is "feeling better" and is getting close to returning ot full-time duty. Former Chicago Bulls player and current television analyst Stacey King threw out Wednesday's ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field and sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch. The lefty shooter threw out the first pitch right-handed. After a couple of rare days under 30,000, the Cubs announced an attendance of 32,272 for Wednesday's game.
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