Petit shuts down Cubs in 9-2 Diamondbacks' rout

[July 23, 2008]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Yusmeiro Petit became the latest starter to shut down sputtering Chicago, and the Diamondbacks made it two in a row over the Cubs with a 9-2 romp on Tuesday night.

Conor Jackson drove in three runs with a solo homer and two-run double. Orlando Hudson added a solo shot for Arizona before leaving the game after being hit by a pitch in the eighth.

Jackson's shot off starter Jason Marquis in the first put Arizona up 1-0, and his sliding score from second on Mark Reynolds' single put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-0 in the third. Stephen Drew doubled in the Diamondbacks' third run in the fourth.

The Diamondbacks added two off left-hander Sean Marshall in the seventh. Drew beat out a double play, advanced to third, then scored on a wild pitch. Hudson followed with his first homer since June 10 -- 135 at bats.

But after Jackson's bases-loaded double in Arizona's four-run eighth, reliever Kevin Hart hit Hudson in the right ankle, sending the Diamondbacks' second baseman to the ground in pain. Hudson had to be helped from the field.

Three Cubs' errors in the last two innings helped Arizona turn it into a rout.

Chicago's Daryle Ward hit his 10th career pinch-hit homer, off Tony Pena in the eighth.

The Cubs have lost five of six and scored no more than two runs in each of those losses. They are 1-4 since the All-Star break.

The victory clinched the series and brought Arizona back to .500 (50-50). With Los Angeles losing 10-1 at Colorado, the Diamondbacks have a one-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West. The Cubs, still with the NL's best record at 58-42, are just one game up on Milwaukee in the NL Central after the Brewers won at St. Louis 4-3.

Arizona newcomer Jon Rauch, acquired earlier in the day in a trade with Washington, pitched a scoreless ninth.

Petit (1-1) gave up a run on three in five innings, striking out three and walking four. Marquis (6-6) allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts, two walks and a hit batter. He is a hard-luck 0-3 in his last four starts.

The Cubs ended a 12-inning scoring drought against Arizona in the fourth. Petit walked DeRosa, then with two outs Mike Fontenot tripled.

Notes: A disgusted Chicago manager Lou Piniella canceled batting practice for Tuesday and Wednesday, saying maybe it would help the team's slumbering offense. ... The Diamondbacks are 18-3 when they hit at least two home runs in a game. ... Arizona purchased the contract of INF Jamie D'Antona, who singled in the seventh in his first major-league plate appearance. He was batting .367 for Triple-A Tucson.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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