Arizona beats Cubs in finale of miserable year

[October 05, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Doug Davis gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a win over the Chicago Cubs in the finale of disappointing seasons for both teams.

Davis pitched eight strong innings and Chris Young homered Sunday. leading the Diamondbacks to a 5-2 victory.

Two years ago, the Diamondbacks swept the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs. This year, both teams can only watch.

Arizona fell from 90-72 two years ago to 82-80 last year to 70-92 this season, the third-worst record in franchise history. The Diamondbacks were 51-111 in 2004 and 65-97 in 1998, their first season.

Chicago, without a World Series title since 1908, finished at 83-78, down from 97-64 last year.

Arizona's Mark Reynolds struck out three times and finished with a major league record 223, 19 more than the previous mark he set last year.

Davis (9-14) allowed six hits and lost his shutout bid in the fifth when Sam Fuld hit his first major league home run, in his 102nd career at-bat. Juan Gutierrez finished for his ninth save in 10 chances.

Young put Arizona ahead 5-0 in the fourth against Ryan Dempster (11-9) with a three-run homer in the fourth. It was Young's 15th home run of the season and eighth since Sept. 4.

Dempster, who won 17 games last season, gave up five runs and six hits in five innings, struck out 10 and walked one.

So Taguchi, the Cubs' 40-year-old left fielder made a sliding attempt but couldn't hold Chad Tracy's looping fly ball that went for a double to start the third. Two outs later, Stephen Drew hit an RBI single, moved up on the throw and scored on Gerardo Parra's single to make it 2-0.

NOTES: Cubs GM Jim Hendry said Ryne Sandberg likely will return to manage a second season at Double-A in 2010. The Hall of Fame second baseman has managed three seasons in the minors and led Tennessee to the playoffs this season. He hopes to someday manage in the majors. ... Cubs pitchers struck out 16 batters. ... The crowd was announced at 39,154, running the Cubs' home attendance for 80 games at Wrigley Field to 3,168,859.

Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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