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Davis, Ramirez lift Cubs over Yankees

Jun 17, 2011 - 11:59 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Doug Davis pitched into the eighth inning and Aramis Ramirez drove in two runs to help the Cubs edge the Yankees, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game interleague series at Wrigley Field.

Davis (1-5) allowed only one run on three hits and three walks in 7 1/3 innings, perhaps his best start in years.

The left-hander hadn't pitched into the eighth since 2009 and picked up his first win since May 5, 2010. Davis made only eight starts last season, most of which he spent on the disabled list.

"I was able to get ahead a lot, throwing strikes with all my pitches except for my curveball," Davis said. "For the most part I was able to keep them off- balance and execute pitches when I had to."

Starlin Castro doubled twice, scored twice and batted in a run for Chicago, which was coming off a series victory against the NL Central-leading Brewers.

Freddy Garcia (5-6) allowed only three runs in seven innings, but took the loss for New York, which had won six of seven.

Chicago staked Davis to an early lead, plating two in the first. Kosuke Fukudome opened the inning with a walk before crossing the plate on Castro's double past Curtis Granderson in the left-center field gap.

Ramirez later plated Castro by fighting off a curveball for a single to right.

Castro sparked the Cubs in the third with a leadoff double and moved to third on Blake DeWitt's base hit. Ramirez again brought in Castro, reaching for a low slider and pulling it to left field to make it a 3-0 game.

Davis held the Yankees off the scoreboard until the eighth inning, when Nick Swisher lined a one-out double high off the left field wall. The hit chased Davis, and Mark Teixeira plated Swisher with a two-out single to center off Sean Marshall.

Alex Rodriguez then came up as the potential tying run, but swung at a third strike from Carlos Marmol.

Marmol got through the ninth with some help. Reed Johnson replaced Alfonso Soriano in left field as a defensive replacement and made an immediate impact. He made a sliding catch by the left field foul line to retire leadoff batter Robinson Cano, and the play proved to be extra valuable when Marmol walked the next batter, Russell Martin.

"He makes an unbelievable catch," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "That's why they put him out there; they put him out for defense, and he changes the complexion of the inning."

After the Cubs closer rebounded by striking out pinch-hitter Jorge Posada, Brett Gardner singled through the left side. But Marmol secured the victory and his 14th save by fanning pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson.

Game Notes

Garcia allowed six hits and walked two for the Yankees...Friday's game was only the fourth between the clubs at Wrigley since the 1938 World Series. They played a three-game set from June 6-8, 2003, when Chicago won two of three.