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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Conor Jackson had three hits and drove in
three runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-2 victory
over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
Jackson, who also scored two runs, belted a solo home run in the
first inning and added a two-run double during a four-run
eighth. Orlando Hudson also launched a solo shot in the seventh
but left the game with a right leg injury after being hit by a
pitch an inning later.
Yusmeiro Petit (1-1) picked up the win, allowing one run and
three hits in five innings. Petit struck out three and issued
four walks.
Petit was making his second start of the season in place of
Micah Owings, who pitched a scoreless inning of relief on
Monday.
"I am used to the different roles," Petit said through an
interpreter. "I was feeling good. I was throwing strikes and
getting ahead of the count. That was the whole key. It is
hard, but last year I did it a couple of times, so this year it
is easier to make the adjustment."
Jon Rauch, who was acquired earlier in the day in a trade with
Washington, tossed a scoreless ninth for the Diamondbacks, who
improved to .500 (50-50).
"We have to concentrate on that particular game and not get
caught up on where we are," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin
said. "We need to string some wins together. We have had
trouble stringing three, four wins in a row. We win one or two
and it looks like we are off to the races again, but we haven't
put together a win streak in a while."
The struggling Cubs have now lost five of their last six games
and are 1-4 since the All-Star break. They had scored only 11
runs in the four games since the break entering Tuesday, with
nine of those coming in a victory over Houston on Sunday.
"The middle part of our lineup, we are getting people on, but we
are not getting them in," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "It
is only July, so they should not be pressing. We are just not
hitting with men on base. When the middle part of your lineup
is not driving in runs, it becomes a bit of a scuffle, and that
is what has happened."
Chicago was unable to break out of its slump at the plate
against Petit, scoring its lone run against him in the fourth
inning on an RBI triple by Mike Fontenot that cut the deficit to
2-1.
The Diamondbacks were clinging to a 3-2 lead until the seventh,
when they added a pair of insurance runs, including Hudson's
homer. They broke open the game in the eighth, which was
highlighted by Jackson's two-run double and a pair of errors by
the Cubs.
"It was nice to get the runs late. Even in the Dodgers series,
except for the first game, we put up early then kind of shut
down the last six or seven innings," Jackson said. "It was nice
to give the bullpen a little breath."
Jason Marquis (6-6) took the loss, yielding three runs and five
hits in six innings.
"I made a few mistakes (to) Conor Jackson and Stephen Drew, but
for the most part, I executed the way I wanted. I feel positive
and hopefully we get out of our own way and play good baseball,"
Marquis said. "We have enough talent here to win, but we can't
just throw our gloves on the field and expect to win. We have
to go back to executing and get back to the basics and play good
fundamental baseball."
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