Cubs jump on Andriese, D-backs en route to rout
PHOENIX --Javier Baez and Daniel Murphy each hit a two-run homer as the Chicago Cubs jumped out to a big early lead Tuesday night on their way to a 9-1 win over the fading Arizona Diamondbacks.
With its fifth victory in six games, Chicago increased its NL Central lead to 3 1/2 games over the Milwaukee Brewers, who lost at home to last-place Cincinnati.
Mike Montgomery (5-5) allowed a run and four hits with a season-high eight strikeouts in six innings for his first win since Aug. 7.
The slumping Diamondbacks dropped six games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West and six back of St. Louis for the second wild card. They have lost four in a row and nine of 11.
The Cubs built a 5-0 lead after their first two turns at bat.
In the first inning, Baez drove a 2-0 pitch from Matt Andriese onto the pool deck in right-center for his second homer in two nights. Baez's 33rd home run gave him 107 RBIs this season.
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Just before Baez connected, Anthony Rizzo lined out to end a 17-pitch at-bat.
Ian Happ drove in Jason Heyward with a second-inning double before Murphy, who scored three times, hit his 11th home run of the season.
Rizzo added a two-run single in a four-run fifth.
Ketel Marte homered in the second for Arizona, his 12th.
Andriese (3-6) lasted two innings and was charged with five runs on five hits in a bullpen game for Arizona. Four other pitchers appeared.
The teams combined for five errors, three by the Diamondbacks.
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SPRING TRAINING FEEL
The Diamondbacks, down 9-1 after five innings, made six lineup changes before the sixth, including replacing star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The Cubs also took out several regulars, and before the night had ended, Happ had played all three outfield positions.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Arizona reliever T.J. McFarland was shut down for the rest of the season with an elbow issue. McFarland was 2-2 with a 2.00 ERA in 47 games and 72 innings.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (5-2) is Wednesday's scheduled starter. Six of his last eight appearances have ended in no-decisions, and the other two are wins. Cubs LHP Cole Hamels tries to improve to 5-0 with Chicago when he pitches Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. It will be his 10th start in a Cubs uniform since he was traded by Texas.
