Cubs hitters had just finished winning three straight games with a total of 28 runs and 40 hits, but watching the Diamondbacks pitching staff leave town wasn’t all that depressing for them.
That’s because the Cubs go to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. And while it may not seem possible, the Pirates are the only team in all of baseball with a worse pitching staff than Arizona’s.
Having reached .500 with their 10-5 victory Sunday, the
would like to get to the positive side for the first time this season on a six-game trip that ends in Cincinnati, which has the NL’s third-worst pitching staff.
“Win series after series,” Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd said. “When you do that, you’re doing the right thing.”
The Cubs won their second series in the last three by destroying the Diamondbacks with three straight Alfonso Soriano sock-fests.
Soriano followed Friday’s game-winning homer and Saturday’s game-tying homer with a two-homer day, giving him 10 RBIs in the three games.
“He really looks locked in at home plate,” said manager Lou Piniella in a massive understatement.
The recipient of the 15-hit attack against Edwin Jackson and others was Tom Gorzelanny, who received more runs in the first inning (four) than he had in any of his three losses.
“It’s a good feeling for any pitcher to go out and get an early lead,” said Gorzelanny, who had received an average of 1.75 runs in his other four starts. And that accounts for the disparity between his record (1-3) and earned-run average (2.48).
“It’s a feeling every pitcher wants to have but it doesn’t change your game plan or focus,” he said. “You’re still pitching for a purpose.
“I honestly felt I pitched better in my last outing (in New York), but I hung in and tried to make pitches and let (batters) hit the ball.”
And how does it feel for a pitcher to watch Soriano bat during one of his patented hot streaks?
“It’s great any time you see a guy catch fire,” he said. “It’s fun to know each time he goes up he can crush the ball.”
After allowing two runs in seven innings, Gorzelanny turned the game over to the bullpen, although he might have been worrying after John Grabow made it close by giving up three runs in the ninth inning.
But for all purposes, this one was over early, with the Cubs leading 7-0 after the fourth inning, when every batter in the lineup had at least one hit except for Geovany Soto.
“That’s how it’s supposed to be,” Soriano said. “We have a very talented team, very good hitters and we want to be a very good team and very good offensively.”
Even Chad Tracy, subbing for the slumping Aramis Ramirez, got in on the fun, going 3-for-4 with a first-inning RBI. Tracy had only 16 at-bats and was hitting .188 before the game
“It’s nice to help the team out and help win ballgames,” he said. It’s tough (to keep sharp). You just go up and battle and hope good things happen.”
Ryan Theriot also had three hits and ran his hitting streak to 12 and Marlon Byrd, batting cleanup for a second straight day, popped his fifth home run of the season, a total he didn’t have until June 29 last season.
