Diamondbacks beat Cubs 8-3

[September 29, 2012]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Justin Upton and Cody Ransom homered to power the Arizona Diamondbacks past the slumping Chicago Cubs 8-3 on Friday night.

The Diamondbacks snapped a two-game losing streak but still were eliminated from the NL wild card midway through the game when the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 12-2.

Arizona starter Ian Kennedy (15-11) was uncharacteristically wild, walking six in 5 1-3 innings but held the Cubs to three runs and four hits. The right-hander struck out five.

Aaron Hill and A.J. Pollock had RBI doubles and Adam Eaton added a run-scoring single for Arizona.

Dave Sappelt homered and Travis Wood (6-13) allowed five runs and five hits over five innings for the Cubs, who have lost six straight and 10 of 11. Wood struck out three and walked two in his second straight loss.

Kennedy's six walks were his second-most in 109 career starts, trailing only a nine-walk outing on June 26, 2010 at Tampa Bay. It was also one more walk than he had issued in his four previous September starts combined.

Eaton doubled to lead off the game and Pollock followed with a double to right-center to give Arizona a 1-0 lead.

Ransom homered to left with one out in the fourth to make it 2-0.

Sappelt hit his second home run in four days, a two-out shot to left-center field, to tie the game 2-2 in the fifth but Hill drove home Kennedy and Upton followed with a towering two-out homer to left to put Arizona back in front 5-2.

Starlin Castro doubled home Alfonso Soriano in the sixth for the Cubs' final run.

The Diamondbacks added three runs in the eighth against Jaye Chapman, the first scoring on a throwing error by second baseman Darwin Barney -- his second of the season and first since April 17.

NOTES: Barney had been three outs away from setting the major league record with his 142nd consecutive errorless game at second. He finishes tied with Placido Polanco, who went 141 games without an error at second in with Detroit in 2007. . Kennedy reached the 200-inning mark to become the fifth pitcher in franchise history with consecutive 200-inning seasons. . Castro, who entered the game in a 2-for-10 slide, went 3 for 4. . The Diamondbacks' elimination from the pennant race officially came with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. . Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt was scratched shortly before the first pitch with a sore back. Mike Jacobs took his place and hit sixth. . RHP Justin Germano (2-9) will try to snap a seven-game losing streak when he takes the mound Saturday night for the Cubs against Arizona RHP Trevor Cahill (12-12). Cahill, who is one strikeout away from a career high 147, is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his past two starts at home.

[Associated Press]

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