D-backs lose third straight to Cubs

The bullpen was let the Arizona Diamondbacks down often this year including the last two games, but today, it was the starting pitching. Edwin Jackson had his second rough outing in a row this time against the Chicago Cubs. Jackson only lasted four innings and allowed runs to score in three of them. When he left the game after four innings he had allowed eight runs on 11 hits and allowed two homers and a walk while not striking out any.

Alfonso Soriano continued to feast off D-backs pitching with a 3-for-4 outting today including two homers and four RBIs. For the series Soriano had four homers including at least one in the last three games.

Second base for the D-backs continues to be a hot spot. We know Kelly Johnson has been on fire, but Tony Abreu has been no slouch either. Starting today he went 2-for-5 with a run scored and is now batting .324 on the year after a hot spring. Stephen Drew also had a two hit game to go along with his two RBIs. Rusty Ryal started at first today and hit his first homer of the year.

The D-backs now head to Houston who has the worst record in the NL. Arizona came to Chicago just two games out of the lead in the NL West, but now trail the Padres by 5.

Second game in a row D-backs unable to hold onto late lead

For the second game in a row the Arizona Diamondbacks were unable to hold onto a lead late against the Chicago Cubs. Dan Haren started the game for the D-backs and while not his sharpest, Haren pitched well enough to win and left the game after six innings with a 5-3 lead.

Bob Howry who pitched well in his last two outings allowed two runs on two hits including a two-run home run to Alfonso Soriano with two out in the seventh. Howry has now allowed at least two runs to score in 4 of his ten outings this year.

Juan Gutierrez would take to the mound in the eighth inning with a 5-5 tie and would allow two more runs to score. In his last seven innings Gutierrez has allowed eight earned runs.

Justin Upton knocked in two of the D-backs five runs including hitting his fourth homer of the year and Mark Reynolds went 2-for-4 with a walk and two solo home runs giving him a tie for the NL lead with teammate Kelly Johnson.

After starting out 3-1 on the current road trip the D-backs have now fallen to 3-3 with one more game tomorrow against the Cubs.

D-backs bullpen faulters agaisnt Cubs

The Arizona Diamondbacks once against had bullpen issues as they faltered late against the Chicago Cubs. D-backs starter Rodrigo Lopez was cruising through five innings of work before the wheels came off in the sixth. With one out a pop-up back towards the mound should have got the D-backs out of the inning, but the ball wound up between Lopez and first baseman Adam LaRoche and the two collided.

After the inning the Cubs turned a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead. Catcher Chris Snyder would help close the gap in the top of the 7th to 6-5 with his fourth homer of the year but that would not last long. Over the next two innings Arizona relievers Blaine Boyer, Aaron Heilman and Kevin Mulvey would allow five runs on four hits five walks and Mulvey would allow two homers in his inning of work.

Shortstop Stephen Drew, third baseman Mark Reynolds and center fielder Cole Gillespie would each pick up two hits on the day for Arizona. The Diamondbacks send ace Dan Haren to the mound tomorrow against Cubs ace Carlos Silva.

LaRoche’s 2 homers help D-backs down Cubbies

The Arizona Diamondbacks are now four games into their 11 game road trip and have a 3-1 record. Today it was the bats of  first baseman Adam LaRoche and second baseman Kelly Johnson who helped the D-backs to score double digits for the second day in a row on the road. LaRoche went 3-for-4 on the day, hit two homers, scored three times and knocked in five runs.

If you were told one month into the season a D-back was going to be leading the NL in homers you would think maybe that batter would be LaRoche, or Mark Reynolds, or even Justin Upton. I doubt many would guess that batter would be second baseman Kelly Johnson with 9 homers. Johnson only hit eight round trippers all last season with the Atlanta Diamondbacks. Johnson was 4-for-5 with three RBIs in the leadoff position for Arizona who is now .500 on the season.

Last season catcher Chris Snyder lost his job to Miguel Montero after Snyder miss extended time with an injury and Montero left his mark at the plate. This season Snyder is looking to take his job back after Montero was injured earlier this year. Snyder was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and is now hitting .278 on the year.

The biggest difference from the double digit performance today and yesterday was the pitching. Ian Kennedy went eight innings and allowed five runs on six hits and a walk. Daniel Stange made his first appearance of the season in the ninth and was perfect in his one inning of relief.

Chicago Cubs Shut Out D-backs in Final Spring Game

The Cubs and D-backs would face each other once again in exhibition play as the Cubs would come off of a loss to the Diamondbacks the day prior. On the mound for the Diamondbacks would be Barry Enright and for the Cubs, Randy Wells. Enright would struggle for the D-backs after pitching two scoreless innings for the team. In the third inning, Enright would give up three runs to the Cubs as Chicago would take the lead. Enright would give up three more runs in the fifth inning before being removed from the game. Read more

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