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Young's power surge continues as Diamondbacks down Cubs

Aug 27, 2007 - 1:53 AM By Bob Huhn PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHOENIX (Ticker) - In a potential playoff matchup, rookie Chris Young supplied the offense blasting two home runs and knocking in four for the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose defense protected a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series.

Jeff Salazar had two hits and a game-saving catch for Arizona (74-57), which leads the San Diego Padres (70-59) by three games in the National League West. The Diamondbacks open a four-game series with the Padres on Monday.

"That is the way we have to play," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "Contributions across the board ... Salazar making the play he did and the at-bats he did. Let's not forget the (Jeff) Cirillo play on the strike-him-out, throw-him-out play in the ninth.

"That is the way we have to win. Whether it is bit players, role players, guys we count on in the middle, we need contributions from everyone. That game we won today embodies how we have played all year."

Trailing, 5-4, the Cubs had a chance to tie the game in the seventh but Arizona's defense protected the lead. Ryan Theriot hit a one-out double to left center and Jacque Jones followed with a line drive to right center, but the right fielder Salazar got a good jump on the ball and made a fantastic running catch to preserve the lead.

"I felt I had a beat on it," Salazar said. "It sliced on me a bit and luckily he didn't get under (it) more. It was one of those moments I came down with it, and it is lucky that he didn't hit any better then he did."

In the ninth inning, the Cubs put runners on first and second with two outs against All-Star closer Jose Valverde. Jones smacked a hard ground ball between first and second base.

Clark ranged far to his right, dove and needed every inch of his 6-7 frame to smother the ball. He then got up quickly and tossed to Valverde for the final out.

"You know when you come in late in a ball game, the ball is going to find you," Clark said.

Clark's play allowed Valverde to record his National League-leading 40th save in 47 chances.

With the Diamondbacks trailing, 3-0, in the first, Young hit his major league-leading eighth leadoff homer of the season. The 23-year-old then belted a three-run shot off Chicago starter Jason Marquis (10-8) in a four-run second inning. The blasts were his 27th and 28th of the season and gave him nine in the last 12 games.

"It felt good to finally hit a home run with some people on base," Young said. "All year, I have been hitting them without anybody on base or leading off. It was a good day today. We came through offensively and in the clutch."

In the second, after Jeff Cirillo pulled Arizona with 3-2 with an RBI single, Young followed with his second homer of the game - a three-run shot over the left field wall - to make it 5-3. It was Young's fifth multi-homer game of his career.

Cliff Floyd homered for Chicago (66-63), which leads the Milwaukee Brewers (65-65) by two games in the National League Central and opens a three-game series in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

The Cubs are expected to have Alfonso Soriano back in the lineup for the series.

"We have to start scoring more runs," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "That is the bottom line. We can't expect our pitching to give up just one or two every time they play. We have a ten-game homestand, and it is going to be our last big homestand of the year.

"We have to take advantage of that. Soriano will be back in there and hopefully he will give us a lift."

Chicago jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, taking advantage of two Arizona errors in the first inning. Theriot scored the first run when shortstop Stephen Drew's errant throw to third ended up in the Arizona dugout.

Aramis Ramirez scored Jones on a groundout, and Floyd smacked a solo shot into the right field bleachers to put Chicago ahead, 3-0.

After struggling through the first three innings, Marquis settled down and allowed just two hits the rest of the way. The righthander allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and three walks.

"I didn't do my job in protecting a lead," Marquis said. "I didn't make pitches when I needed to. I got balls up in the zones and he (Young) had some good swings."

His counterpart, Yusmeiro Petit, struggled as well, allowing four runs and five hits in four innings with two walks.

Edgar Gonzalez (6-2) allowed one hit over two scoreless innings in relief of Petit to pick up the win.

Chicago pulled within 5-4 in the third when Derrek Lee hit his second career inside-the-park home run. Lee belted a long fly ball to center that bounced off the overhang, which just out 18 feet over the field. The ball bounced toward left-center, enabling Lee to slide home safely.