Saturday, April 27, 2013
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Rizzo hits 2 home runs in Cubs' 4-2 win

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[April 27, 2013]  MIAMI (AP) -- Anthony Rizzo had two home runs and four RBIs to power the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night, giving Chicago back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Rizzo's second career two-home run game gave him eight on the season, the most by a Cubs left-handed hitter in April. Billy Williams (1970) and Henry Rodriguez (2000) each hit seven.

Scott Feldman (1-3) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings, Kevin Gregg recorded his second save, and Darwin Barney had three hits for Chicago, which beat Miami 4-3 on Thursday and had been 0-6 following a win.

Rizzo, who hails from nearby Parkland, Fla., came into the game mired in a 1-for-20 slump and hitting .173 on the season, but broke out in a big way going 3 for 4 and also stole a base.

He hit a two-run homer off Wade LeBlanc (0-4) in the first inning to deep center field estimated at 420 feet and followed that blast with an estimated 413-foot two-run shot to the upper deck in right field in his next at-bat, again off LeBlanc, who allowed four runs in six innings.

Joe Mahoney hit his first career homer for the Marlins in the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-1.

Feldman got into a jam in the seventh after Chris Coghlan's double gave the Marlins a pair of runners on base with one out. Chris Valaika's sacrifice fly pulled Miami within 4-2 and a walk to Austin Kearns ended Feldman's night. James Russell came on in relief and retired Juan Pierre to get out of the inning.

Miami threatened again in the eighth with two on and two out, but Rob Brantly popped out to end the inning.

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Gregg sent the Marlins down in order in the ninth to earn his second save in as many chances.

Before the game, Miami manager John Redmond declined to comment on a report that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria demanded that starting pitchers Jose Fernandez and Ricky Nolasco swap starts for Tuesday's doubleheader against the Twins.

Loria's request to have top rookie Fernandez start the day game caused friction with the team, according to the report by Yahoo! Sports.

"We were all on the call and it was an organizational decision and I'm going to leave it at that," Redmond said when asked about the story.

Fernandez started the day game in which the Marlins lost 4-3.

NOTES: Rizzo also hit two home runs against Pittsburgh on Sept. 16, 2012. ... Cubs RHP Matt Garza had a flat-ground throwing session on Friday. "It went really well, no tightness or soreness so he'll go again (Saturday)," said Cubs manager Dale Sveum, who expects Garza to have three or four rehab starts before returning to the big league club by May 20. "Maybe earlier depending on his starts and how everything goes," Sveum said. ... Marlins RHP Alex Sanabia (2-2, 5.09 ERA) will start Saturday's game against Cubs LHP Travis Wood (1-1, 2.08 ERA).

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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