• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Hairston's grand slam lifts Cubs over Diamondbacks

May 31, 2013 - 11:55 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Scott Hairston hit a grand slam and Matt Garza tossed seven solid frames to pick up his first win of the season, as the Chicago Cubs earned a 7-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Garza (1-0), who extended his own streak of allowing three or fewer earned runs to 19 consecutive home starts dating back to June 27, 2011, yielded both Arizona runs on six hits while striking out four in the victory.

"I was more pumped about going deep, I wanted to keep going," Garza said of his first win of the season. "I'm pumped to get it out of the way."

Alfonso Soriano provided a two-run homer and Cody Ransom added a solo shot for the Cubs, who have won a season-high five straight following a six-game losing skid.

Wade Miley (3-5) was charged for all seven Chicago runs over seven frames with seven strikeouts in the setback. Didi Gregorius had a sacrifice fly and Miguel Montero hit an RBI double for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped four straight road contests.

Soriano entered the game with a .437 career average versus the Diamondbacks and continued his success by opening up the scoring with a two-run blast to center, giving the Cubs an early 2-0 lead in the first.

Chicago broke open the game in the third, scoring five runs off the longball.

After Anthony Rizzo doubled with one out to put runners on second and third, Soriano was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hairston made Wiley pay, launching the lefty's breaking ball offering into the left field bleachers for a grand slam and 6-0 Cubs lead.

"We've been really confident lately and catching our breaks," Hairston said. "A lot of balls we're hitting hard are finding holes now; before they weren't."

Ransom added to lead later in the inning with a two-out homer.

"I just tried to give us a little help," Miley said of the rough early start. "So I just tried to go as deep as I could. Just trying to log innings at that point."

Arizona finally figured out Garza in the sixth, but it was too little, too late.

Miley and Gerardo Parra hit a single and double, respectively, to start things. Gregorius' sacrifice fly made it 7-1, and two batters later, Montero hit an RBI double to make it 7-2.

Game Notes

Arizona placed third baseman Eric Chavez on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a strained right oblique and activated another 35-year-old infielder, Willie Bloomquist, off the disabled list ... The Cubs have won 13 of 17 at home in this series since 2008 ... Chicago's Travis Wood also hit a grand slam in Thursday's 8-3 win over the White Sox, marking the first time since July 27-28, 1998 that the team had a such a feat in back-to-back games. Both grand slams in 1998 were curtsey of Sammy Sosa ... Arizona had its seven- game road winning streak versus NL Central foes dating back to last year come to an end ... Soriano has 15 homers and 30 RBI versus the Diamondbacks over his career ... It was Garza's first win since July 15 of last season ... Hairston's grand slam was the third of his career.