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 It was the Cubs rookie's first career multi-homer game, and both
came off Diamondbacks right-handed starter Zack Godley, who was
hammered early and gone after 4 2/3 innings in the opener of a
three-game Wrigley Field series.
Chicago left-handed starter Jon Lester worked five innings in a game
that lasted 3 hours, 40 minutes. He improved to 9-10 with his first
win since Aug. 13.
Rizzo was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and right fielder Javier Baez went
3-for-4, including his first homer of the season.
Godley (4-1) struggled with control from the outset as the Cubs sent
eight batters to the plate in the first to open a 3-0 lead.
He gave up a single and walked four Cubs; two scored on bases on
balls with just one out. Chicago made it 3-0 as catcher David Ross'
sacrifice to right scored Rizzo.
Godley finally got out of the inning when Lester grounded to second.
The Diamondbacks, in turn, had bases loaded on Lester with two outs
in the second inning. But the Cubs' ace struck out Godley to escape
the jam.
Russell led off the second with his 11th home run of the season to
give Chicago a 4-0 lead.
Second baseman Chris Owings' two-out RBI double in the fourth broke
the shutout, scoring catcher Welington Castillo from second.
Russell launched his second homer of the day to left in the fourth
inning, scoring Lester for a 6-1 lead. Godley then faced his final
batter, walking left fielder Chris Coghlan before he was pulled for
right-handed reliever Enrique Burgos.
Godley allowed six runs on four hits, walked six and struck out
three.
Arizona scratched out another run in the fifth as right fielder
Ender Inciarte reached on a bunt, stole second and third and came
home on third baseman Phil Gosselin's double to left.
The Cubs replied with eight fifth-inning runs, seven credited to
right-handed reliever A.J. Schugel and all with two outs. Right
fielder Austin Jackson singled home Ross for a 7-1 lead and Schugel
then walked Coghlan and bring home Lester to make it 8-2.
Rizzo then delivered a grand slam to right for a 12-2 lead. It was
his first grand slam of the season and the second of his career.
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Schugel walked Bryant and was replaced by right-handed reliever
Silvino Bracho, who promptly gave up a two-run homer to Baez to make
it 14-2.
Lester didn't return after the lengthy fifth, replaced by
right-hander Justin Grimm. Lester worked five innings and had
already thrown 91 pitches. He allowed two runs on five hits, struck
out three and walked a pair.
Diamondbacks first baseman Jake Lamb's two-run homer to right in the
seventh made it 14-4. Owings scored on shortstop Nick Ahmed's
eighth-inning triple, cutting the lead to 14-5.
NOTES: The Diamondbacks' low Class A affiliate -- the Kane County
Cougars -- are just 45 miles west of Chicago and have clinched a
Midwest League playoff berth with their Western Division-leading
45-21 second-half record. ... Diamondbacks C Welington Castillo
faced his old Cubs teammates for the first time at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs traded Castillo -- their one-time starter -- to the
Mariners in May and Seattle sent him to Arizona on June 3. He has 15
homers and 27 RBIs in 62 games with the Diamondbacks. ... RHP Zack
Godley was recalled from Double-A Mobile for Friday's start. ...
Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (3-10, 3.72 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Jake
Arrieta (17-6, 2.11) in Saturday's middle game. ... Cubs rookie C/LF
Kyle Schwarber is out for the next three to five days as he deals
with what is described as a mild rib cage strain. ... Chicago RHP
Jake Arrieta was an unanimous pick for NL Pitcher of the Month
announced Thursday. He went 6-0 with a 0.43 ERA and pitched first
career no-hitter on Aug. 30 against the Dodgers. ... Cubs 3B Kris
Bryant was voted NL Rookie of the Month for August after hitting
.330 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 28 games last month.
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