Cubs 7 - 6 Diamondbacks
Final/12
  for this game

Cubs call on Samardzija vs. D'backs

Jul 24, 2013 - 2:17 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will try again to avoid reaching double-digit losses for the season on Wednesday night when the Chicago Cubs visit Chase Field for the third of four games with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The former Notre Dame football star, who dropped 13 of 22 decisions in 28 starts last year, fell to 5-9 two starts ago when he was ripped for nine runs in a 13-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

He bounced back in one subsequent start, allowing a single run on four hits in 7 1/3 strong innings en route to a 3-1 defeat of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Samardzija last faced the Diamondbacks on June 1 in Chicago and gave up just three runs in 6 1/3 innings, though the Cubs went on to lose the game, 12-4.

He is 0-1 in seven career meetings with Arizona with a 5.63 earned run average in 16 innings.

The Diamondbacks reply with righty Ian Kennedy, who's struggling to regain the form that saw him win 36 games over the last two seasons.

The former first-round pick of the New York Yankees evened his record at 3-3 this season when he defeated the Cubs in the aforementioned 12-4 game on June 1, but he's not won since in eight starts - losing four decisions.

The Diamondbacks have won just once in those eight games and have scored one or fewer runs four times in that stretch.

Most recently, Kennedy was a 2-0 loser at San Francisco on July 19 after surrendering two runs on five hits in six innings of work.

He's 3-2 in seven lifetime starts against Chicago.

On Tuesday, Eric Chavez and A.J. Pollock each contributed three RBI to help the Diamondbacks cruise to a 10-4 victory.

Adam Eaton went 3-for-4 and crossed the plate three times for the Diamondbacks, who enjoyed a 14-hit attack. The Diamondbacks remained a half- game behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

Arizona received strong pitching from Patrick Corbin (12-1), who gave up only one run on four hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work. The left- hander is now 8-0 at home this season.

Chicago starter Travis Wood (6-7), who finished first half of the season with an MLB-leading 17 quality starts, lasted only 5 2/3 innings. Wood allowed four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Junior Lake went 3-for-4 with a solo shot that was crushed to left field in the ninth inning for Chicago, which has lost four of its last six.

Arizona won two of three versus the Cubs in Chicago from May 31-June 2 and won five of the six meetings at home a season ago.






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