Chicago Cubs edge past the Arizona Diamondbacks with 4-1 win – MLB News
The Chicago Cubs on Saturday, July 14, kept their winning streak, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 at Wrigley Field, Chicago. This was the Cubs’ second consecutive win, made possible by Ryan Dempster’s brilliant spell.
The Cubs’ accomplished starter has now had 33-inning scoreless streak with Saturday’s win, tying the record with Ken Holtzman who had achieved it back in 1969.
Ryan Dempster pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and going for five strike-outs with a 1.86 ERA. The fact that the scoreless streak has gone to the credit of a starter, it is undeniably quite incredible.
Even for Dempster himself, it is something incredible.
"It's pretty crazy. I think as a reliever when you do something like that it seems a little more realistic because you go out there one inning at a time," Dempster said. "To go out there start after start and not give up any runs is pretty humbling. I'm just trying to get outs and not expecting that and trying to win ballgames."
The team manager, Dale Sveum, was particularly pleased with the amazing performance of Ryan Dempster.
Sveum said, "When I took him out he wanted to stay, but he wasn't going to talk me out of it. That's a competitive pitcher that wanted to stay in.”
It was Starlin Castro, the All-Star, who opened the account for the Cubs with his third inning first run followed by David Barney’s double to left in the fourth inning, doubling the lead. Luis Valbuena tripled the lead in the fourth while David Barney made it 4-0 in the sixth.
Diamondbacks’ starter Joe Saunders gave up no less than four runs and eight hits in his six inning spell with 3.52 ERA. The only run for the Arizona Diamondbacks came in the seventh inning when Chris Young homered to left against James Russell.
Carlos Marmol, the Cubs' closer, came up with a scoreless ninth inning allowing only a hit, to conclude the game with 4-1 win for the team. The Cubs now stand a chance to sweep the series in Sunday’s encounter where the Diamondbacks will be under huge pressure.
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