Ian Happ hit a 399-foot homer into the wind, Shota Imanaga pitched seven scoreless innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 for their 10th straight home victory.
Happ hit his eighth homer leading off the second inning off Ryne Nelson (1-3), a line drive into the right field seats that pierced an 8-mph wind on a 50-degree day with wind gusts that reached 12 mph.
Imanaga (3-2) gave up four hits — three singles — and struck out five with one walk. All five of his strikeouts came on split-finger fastballs, according to MLB StatCast.
Imanaga is now 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs and nine hits with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings.
The Cubs completed the scoring when Happ tripled off Juan Morillo with one out in the eighth and scored on Seiya Suzuki’s sacrifice fly
Happ also doubled and had three of the Cubs’ five hits.
The Cubs have won four in a row and 14 of 17. They have their first 10-game winning streak at Wrigley Field since 2008.
Ben Brown retired all six he faced for a two-inning save, his first save of the season. He is the seventh Cub to record a save this season.
Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas went 0-for-4 in his first career start hitting cleanup, breaking his 27-game hitting streak dating to last September, the longest in the majors. He hit safely in the D-Backs’ first 24 games, the longest season-opening streak since Ron LeFlore’s 30-game streak for the Detroit Tigers in 1976, according to Elias.
The Diamondbacks did not get a runner past first base until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled with one out in the seventh. Imanaga walked Jose Fernandez with two outs before getting James McCann, the last batter he faced, to ground out.
Gurriel’s double was the D-Backs’ only extra-base hit. They have lost eight of 11.
Nelson gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving when Kevin Ginkel entered to face Pete Crow-Armstrong with two outs and Happ on second in the sixth. Ginkel walked Crow-Armstrong before getting Dansby Swanson to ground out.
Nelson struck out four and walked two. He was the first Arizona starter to pitch into the sixth inning since April 18, a span of 11 starts.
–Field Level Media
