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Cubs celebrate Wrigley's 100th birthday against D'backs

Apr 23, 2014 - 2:20 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Cubs celebrate the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field on Wednesday by trying to stretch their season-best winning streak to three games in the third of four contests with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The first game at the facility, between the Chicago Federals and Kansas City Packers, was played on April 23, 1914 in a venue then known as Weeghman Park.

"Wrigley Field is a constant," MLB commissioner Bud Selig said. "It's history. Everything about it means so much to so many people, and I'm one of them."

Getting the call for Chicago on this historic afternoon will be slumping Jeff Samardzija, who has gone 10 starts since his last victory, which came on Aug. 24, 2013 at San Diego.

He's pitched well in four starts this season, not allowing more than two earned runs in any game and pitching at least seven innings in each outing. In his last outing, on Friday against Cincinnati, he allowed one earned run in a 4-1 loss.

Arizona, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Wade Miley, who is 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA. He was dinged to the tune of five runs in five innings of an 8-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 12, but bounced back in his last start to surrender just two hits in six innings of Arizona's 4-2 defeat of the Dodgers on Friday.

Miley took a 7-2 loss after allowing all seven runs in seven innings of a start in Chicago on May 31, 2013. It's the lone loss he's had against the Cubs. He is 2-1 against them with a 3.57 earned run average.

Chicago continued to roll on Tuesday, as Mike Olt had a three-run home run and Jason Hammel limited Arizona to just a run on four hits in the Cubs' 9-2 rout.

Hammel (3-1) went seven innings for the third straight start and added four strikeouts to help Chicago to its third win in four tries..

Justin Ruggiano and Nate Schierholtz had two RBI apiece while Luis Valbuena recorded two hits and three runs scored in the triumph.

Brandon McCarthy (0-4) remains winless after striking out six in five frames. Four of McCarthy's five runs charged to him were unearned.

Tuffy Gosewisch's first hit of the season left the ballpark to supply Arizona with its first run in the sixth inning, and Paul Goldschmidt added an RBI single in the ninth.

The Diamondbacks' 5-18 mark is the worst in the majors.

Arizona was 4-3 against the Cubs last season.