Diamondbacks jump all over Cubs with five-run first inning
Jul 23, 2018, 5:53 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' A.J. Pollock swings into an RBI single off Chicago Cubs pitcher Luke Farrell during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 23, 2018, in Chicago. Jon Jay scored. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t spend much time waiting to take the momentum in their series with the Chicago Cubs.
Traveling to Wrigley Field for a four-game series with the team at the top of the National League Central, the D-backs jumped all over Cubs starter Luke Farrell on Monday.
Lead-off man Jon Jay was hit by a pitch, and following Paul Goldschmidt’s lineout to deep left, David Peralta singled to right.
That brought up cleanup hitter A.J. Pollock, who creamed a Farrell fastball up the middle that nearly hit Farrell in the head.
Luke Farrell dodges a 103mph baseball coming off the bat of AJ Pollock, and the @dbacks score first in Chicago! pic.twitter.com/1UK1sHKBzb
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) July 24, 2018
One run would score on the play, and Jake Lamb’s sacrifice fly on the following at-bat scored Peralta for a two-run first inning.
The D-backs weren’t done there. Ketel Marte singled to bring in Pollock and Daniel Descalso singled to put two runners on for Jeff Mathis.
For the second straight game, Mathis had a two-RBI hit, this time a double after his single against Colorado the day before.
That made it 5-0 D-backs before starter Patrick Corbin threw one pitch.
The explosion to lead off the game made it the fourth time Arizona has scored at least five runs in the first inning of a game this season. The D-backs entered the game with 73 runs scored in the first inning, tied for the second most in the majors.
Goldschmidt homered on his next at-bat in the second inning, giving Corbin a six-run cushion against one of the league’s best offenses.
