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Goldschmidt, D-backs slug past Cubs

Jun 24, 2012 - 6:44 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Paul Goldschmidt finished a single shy of the cycle and the Arizona Diamondbacks banged out 16 hits Saturday night to beat the Chicago Cubs, 10-5.

Goldschmidt and Justin Upton both hit solo homers and led five Diamondbacks players with two RBI apiece in the team's fourth win in five games.

"There's a lot of good things we did today in that game," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "We're kind of getting back on track"

Chicago starter Paul Maholm hit a two-run homer, but gave up seven runs -- six earned -- in just 3 1/3 innings as the Cubs lost their third game in a row to fall to 6-15 in June.

"I made pitches when I had to early and just didn't there in the last couple of hitters that I faced," Maholm said.

The Diamondbacks won the opener of this three-game series 6-1 on Friday even after starter Joe Saunders was scratched just minutes before the game. Their starter Saturday didn't last very long, either.

Ian Kennedy had a 7-2 lead going into the fifth but didn't make it out of the inning. He was charged with five runs on 10 hits and a walk in 4 1/3 frames.

Maholm (4-6) remained winless in his last eight starts. The lefty, who turns 30 Monday, gave up nine hits and three walks, coming out during Arizona's six- run fourth.

His second career homer and first since 2009 gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the fourth, but Arizona came back with six runs in the bottom of the inning to chase the Cubs starter.

Ryan Roberts sparked the rally with a leadoff single and a steal of second base. He scored the first run from third on an Aaron Hill grounder that ate up third baseman Luis Valbuena, who then threw wide to first as everyone was safe.

Upton added an RBI single, Jason Kubel had a two-run base hit and another run scored on Goldschmidt's triple into the right field corner. Miguel Montero's RBI single capped the rally to make it 7-2 and chase Maholm.

The Cubs came right back with three runs in the fifth. Alfonso Soriano led off with a single, Geovany Soto drew a one-out walk and both runners scored on Steve Clevenger's double to chase Kennedy. Clevenger later came home on Jeff Baker's single off Craig Breslow (2-0) to get the Cubs within 7-5.

Arizona got one of the runs back in the sixth when Goldschmidt homered to right-center off Scott Maine, his 10th of the season.

Hill made it 9-5 with an RBI single in the seventh to score Willie Bloomquist, who had doubled, and Goldschmidt doubled and scored on Montero's single in the eighth.

Earlier, Upton hit his seventh homer of the season at the end of an eight- pitch at-bat leading off the third inning to give Arizona a 1-0 lead.

Kennedy retired the first two batters in the fourth before Adrian Cardenas singled and Maholm launched a first-pitch fastball into the right field seats for a 2-1 Cubs lead.

Game Notes

The Diamondbacks placed Saunders on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained left shoulder. The move is retroactive to June 17. They recalled pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo from Triple-A Reno to take his spot...Maholm's last win was May 9 against Atlanta. He is 0-4 in his last eight starts.