PHOENIX (AP) - Yu Darvish settled down after a shaky start.
He got some help from David Bote.
Darvish pitched six effective innings and Bote homered twice, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 9-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
Anthony Rizzo also connected for the Cubs, who won for the fourth time in six games. Rizzo finished with three hits and scored three times.
Darvish (2-3) struck out eight in his longest outing of the season. The four-time All-Star allowed two hits and walked four.
Arizona came up empty after loading the bases with one out in the first and putting two runners on in the second. David Peralta’s leadoff drive to center in the sixth accounted for the Diamondbacks’ only run of the game.
“First two (innings) were rough, but after that I felt pretty good about command,” Darvish said. “The last hitter in the second inning, I threw a split (finger) to him, and that gave me a good feeling for every pitch.”
Bote capped Chicago’s five-run third with a massive three-run shot to left off Zack Godley (1-2). He added a two-run drive in the fifth against Matt Koch.
Two innings later, with the Cubs leading 8-1, Bote was hit in the shoulder area with a high fastball from Koch, prompting both dugouts and bullpens to empty. The field was cleared after a short delay and play resumed without further incident.
“It’s hard to be not caught up in reaction there,” Bote said. “I thought better of it and tried to de-escalate the situation instead of escalate it. But it’s all good. There’s no hard feelings.”
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said his team doesn’t play ’old-school baseball’ in terms of hitting someone on purpose.
“Just because somebody hits two home runs, we do not throw at batters. He deserved to hit two home runs,” Lovullo said. “So by no means did we throw at him. I don’t believe in that part of the game.”
Godley lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his shortest start since August 2016. He was charged with five runs and four hits.
“Honestly, I just couldn’t throw strikes,” Godley said.
Arizona turned to catcher Caleb Joseph to pitch the ninth inning, and he retired the Cubs in order.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Reliever T.J. McFarland (shoulder) is scheduled for a rehab appearance with Triple-A Reno on Monday. He could work two to three innings. … First baseman Jake Lamb (quad strain) and catcher Alex Avila (quad strain) are progressing, Lovullo said, with Avila slightly ahead of Lamb.
400 CLUB
Joe Maddon earned his 400th victory in 674 games as manager of the Cubs. He’s the third-fastest manager in franchise history to reach the milestone, behind Frank Chance (1909) and Cap Anson (1885).
’PEN PALS
Arizona’s bullpen had not allowed an earned run in 24 innings before Bote went deep against Koch. It was the second-longest such streak in franchise history.
CUBS ON TURF
The Cubs are playing their first series on artificial turf since September 19-20, 2017, when they played the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Arizona’s Chase Field replaced its natural grass before this season.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Jose Quintana (3-1, 3.21 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday. The left-hander is 3-0 with a sparkling 0.86 ERA in his last three starts. But he is 0-2 with a 9.98 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Luke Weaver (2-1, 3.33 ERA) has a 1.53 ERA in his last three starts. He’s 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in six career starts against the Cubs.
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