Cubs 1 - 5 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

D'Backs, Miley hope to break the brooms out on Cubs

Jun 24, 2012 - 2:04 PM

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(Sports Network) - Arizona rookie Wade Miley goes after his ninth win of the season this afternoon when the Diamondbacks attempt to complete a sweep in the finale of their three-game series with the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field.

Miley has been tremendous all season for Arizona, but has really stepped it up over his last three starts (2-1), allowing just one run while going at least seven innings in each of his past three starts. He beat Seattle on Monday, limiting the Mariners to a run and nine hits over seven innings. Miley also struck out eight without walking a batter and improved to 8-3 on the season to go along with a 2.30 ERA.

The left-hander has lost just once at home this season and that was back on May 9.

"It's been all year," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said after Miley's last start. "It's been command and belief in throwing the ball for strikes."

Chicago, meanwhile, will counter with right-handed veteran Matt Garza, who is 3-5 with a 4.07 ERA. Garza won for the first time in eight starts on Monday against the White Sox, holding them to three runs and five hits in six innings.

"A lot of it is on my shoulders," Garza said about not having a win in his seven previous outings. "My job is to hold the lead when I get it, and if I don't have a lead, keep them where they're at until we get it. That's my job and that's what I try to do."

Garza beat the Diamondbacks the only other time he faced them last season.

Arizona moved over .500 for the first time since early May on Saturday, as Paul Goldschmidt finished a single shy of the cycle and the Diamondbacks banged out 16 hits in a 10-5 win. 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," 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 Cubs have stranded 21 runners in this series, going 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

"Our core guys have to start doing something in the middle of that order," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said.

Arizona hasn't completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs since turning the trick from Aug. 17-19, 2001.






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