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Cubs rally as D-Backs bullpen costs Scherzer win
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Arizona D-Backs relief pitcher Brandon Medders walks back to the dugout after the seventh inning of a baseball game against Chicago Cubs.
The Associated Press
CHICAGO — The Diamondbacks entrusted Max Scherzer’s first major league victory to their bullpen Saturday, usually as certain as a sunrise.
D-Backs notebook: Scherzer shows command
Read Jack Magruder's blog, 'Inside Baseball'
The Chicago Cubs did not let it happen, though, scoring six runs off relievers Chad Qualls and Brandon Medders in a six-run seventh inning for a 7-2 victory at Wrigley Field.
Scherzer, playing in front of 22 family members and five friends who made the drive from St. Louis, gave up five hits and no earned runs in six innings, leaving with a 2-1 lead after throwing 82 pitches.
“We said all along we will be real careful with him,” manager Bob Melvin said.
“Ninety (pitches) is going to be his top. He certainly did his job. We just couldn’t finish it off.”
The D-Backs (23-14) have lost five of their past seven games after a start so good that they still have the best record in the major leagues.
Justin Upton walked with the bases loaded and Mark Reynolds added a run-scoring ground-out for a 2-1 lead in the sixth before the Cubs rallied off Qualls, who entered with a 0.93 ERA and 11 holds, second in the NL.
Four of the five batters Qualls faced got hits, with Alfonso Soriano’s run-scoring double breaking a 2-all tie before Ryan Theriot’s single up the middle extended the Cubs’ lead. Kosuke Fukudome capped the big inning with a two-run home run.
“I made a bunch of good pitches to Soriano. He battled me. The one mistake I did make to him, he hit in the gap,” Qualls said. “It was a tough day. Trying to get a win for Max … he did a great job. It’s unbelievable to come out to Wrigley Field and the environment and everything else and do as well as he did.”
“My goal today was to get ahead of hitters, and I feel I accomplished that,” Scherzer said.
Snake Bites
Turning point: Alfonso Soriano doubled to left-center field to drive in the tying run in the Cubs’ six-run seventh inning as they took a 7-2 lead.
Stat of the game: Soriano saw 16 pitches and swung at 12 of them while going 4-for-5.
Unsung hero: Max Scherzer struck out six and did not give up an earned run in six innings.
Walking home: Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster, who argued about a call on a pitch to Justin Upton before walking him in the sixth, did not go to his dugout after the inning ended but instead walked directly to home plate for what appeared to be a civilized
chat with umpire Dana DeMuth.
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