CHICAGO -- Jason Hammel paved the way for the Cubs on Saturday, giving up two runs and only one hit over seven innings in a 5-3 win over the D-backs at Wrigley Field. Hammel also had a two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning that put the Cubs ahead on the way to their 10th win in 11 games.
Hammel overcame an early mistake after Jake Lamb deposited a 1-0 fastball into the right-field seats for a two-run homer in the first inning. Despite allowing Dexter Fowler's leadoff homer, Arizona starter Edwin Escobar held the Cubs to one run through the first three innings. But things unraveled for him in the fourth inning of his second Major League start. Escobar left after 3 2/3 frames, surrendering four earned runs on five hits and two walks.
As good as Hammel was, Travis Wood got the game's most important out in the eighth, when Rickie Weeks Jr. lined out on a full count with the bases loaded to end the inning and preserve the Cubs' lead. Anthony Rizzo tacked on a home run for good measure in the Cubs' half of the eighth, and the D-Backs lost for the fifth time in six games. The Cubs improved to 39-15, adding to the second-best start in franchise history and moving to a season-high 24 games over .500.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
He keeps going: For the third time this season, Fowler got the Cubs' lineup off to the best start possible, hitting a leadoff home run to left field on a 3-2 count for his seventh home run this season. It was the 17th leadoff shot of his career.
Who's got it? The three-run fourth inning could have had quite a different look had Rizzo's pop to left-center been caught. Left fielder Yasmany Tomas, center fielder Chris Owings and Lamb all converged but could not come up with the ball. Had they caught it, the Cubs may have only gotten one run that inning.
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: Patrick Corbin gets the start in the series finale with the Cubs on Sunday afternoon at 11:20 a.m. MST. Corbin suffered through his worst start of the season last time out, when he allowed seven runs over 3 1/3 innings to the Astros.
Cubs: Jake Arrieta starts in the series finale against the D-backs on Sunday at 1:20 p.m. CT. Arrieta threw seven scoreless innings in his latest start against the Dodgers, but took a no-decision in a 5-0 Cubs loss. It snapped a streak of 23 consecutive team wins in Arrieta's starts.
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Cody Stavenhagen is a reporter for MLB.com and covered the Cubs on Saturday.
Steve Gilbert has covered the D-backs for MLB.com since 2001. Follow him on Twitter @SteveGilbertMLB.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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