Ray, Diamondbacks one-hit Cubs

[September 20, 2018]  Christian Walker, Chris Owings and Jeff Mathis homered, and Robbie Ray threw six scoreless innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks used an unorthodox lineup to break a four-game losing streak with a 9-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Patrick Kivlehan tied a franchise record with two triples, and Owings had three hits in a game in which manager Torey Lovullo gave regulars Paul Goldschmidt, David Peralta, A.J. Pollock and Eduardo Escobar the night off.

Ray (6-2) gave up only Addison Russell's third-inning single while striking out eight and walking four. The Cubs did not have another hit, and they did not have more than one runner on base in any inning.

Brad Ziegler, Yoshihisa Hirano and Andrew Chafin threw one inning apiece to complete the one-hitter.

The Diamondbacks, who had lost nine of 11, had not scored more than six runs in their previous 29 games, since a 9-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on Aug. 17. Arizona (79-74) had scored only one run in each of the first two games of the Chicago series.

The Diamondbacks will play three-game series against the top two NL West contenders, the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers, to conclude their current nine-game homestand. Arizona is six games behind the first-place Dodgers after Los Angeles' 5-2 win over Colorado on Wednesday.

The Cubs lost one game off their NL Central lead, which is down to 2 1/2 games over Milwaukee with 10 to play. The Brewers are three games ahead of the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals for the first NL wild-card spot.

Cubs left fielder Ben Zobrist (18) hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Left-hander Cole Hamels (9-10) gave up nine hits and seven runs while taking his first loss with the Cubs since being acquired from Texas at the trade deadline. He struck out four without a walk. The seven runs tied a season high that he reached twice with the Rangers.

Hamels entered 4-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his nine Chicago starts, having given up only 11 runs (10 earned) total. He had not given up more than three runs in any of his previous starts for the Cubs.

Jon Jay singled to open the first inning off Hamels. Ketel Marte hit a one-out single before Walker lined a homer measured at 445 feet just to the right of the batter's eye in center field.

Kivlehan followed with a triple to center and scored on Owings' two-out single for a 4-0 lead. Kivlehan made his first major league start this season after his contract was purchased from the New York Mets on Sept. 6.

In the sixth inning, Kivlehan tripled and scored on Nick Ahmed's single. Owings then homered.

Mathis hit his first homer of the year after Owings singled in the eighth.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.