Daulton Varsho delivered a two-run double in the 10th, and scored on the same play, as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs for a third consecutive day, 7-6 on Saturday.
Arizona managed one hit and struck out in nine of its 18 plate appearances against Chicago starter Justin Steele through five innings he worked. However, once Steele departed with a 4-0 lead, the Diamondbacks’ bats woke up.
Chicago native Alek Thomas delivered an RBI single in the seventh. Then, Pavin Smith led off the eighth with a pinch-hit home run off Scott Effross. With two outs later in the inning, Jake McCarthy (three hits) recorded a run-scoring double and Varsho followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases against David Robertson with nobody out in the ninth, but failed to score. However, they came through in the 10th against Rowan Wick (1-1). Varsho’s third hit lined off the right-field wall, scoring two. Never completely stopping on the bases, Varsho came home on Andrelton Simmons’ throwing error.
A run-scoring single from Simmons and Jonathan Villar’s RBI ground-rule double in the 10th off the Diamondbacks’ Mark Melancon made things interesting, but he fanned Seiya Suzuki for his ninth save.
Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner gave up back-to-back homers to Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom in the second, then an RBI double to Suzuki and a run-scoring single to Yan Gomes in the third. However, Bumgarner lasted seven innings, and struck out seven without a walk for Arizona, which entered this four-game set losers of six straight.
Ian Kennedy (3-2) got the win for Arizona, which secured its first winning road series over the Cubs since 2017. Chicago, meanwhile, has lost four in a row after winning four straight. Each defeat has come at home, where the Cubs are 6-15.
Arizona’s Josh Rojas, who homered three times Friday, exited after being hit on the hand with a pitch that he swung at (he later struck out) in the first inning. Meanwhile, Chicago star Willson Contreras left while running bases in the third with hamstring tightness.
The game started following a 95-minute rain delay.
–Field Level Media