{"id":45327,"date":"2025-03-30T14:08:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T14:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45327"},"modified":"2025-03-30T14:08:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T14:08:08","slug":"cubs-4-diamondbacks-3-you-keep-me-hangin-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45327","title":{"rendered":"Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 3: You keep me hangin\u2019 on"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m gonna make a little teeny tiny suggestion here.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s not such a great idea for the Cubs to keep signing former Astros relief pitchers.<\/p>\n

We went through a roller-coaster ride with Hector Neris last year until he was let go, and the Ryan Pressly Era hasn\u2019t begun well.<\/p>\n

Pressly had a shaky ninth inning, serving up a two-run homer to Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, and only this great play by Dansby Swanson put this game in the \u201cW\u201d column [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

Thought I\u2019d lead with that in recapping the Cubs\u2019 4-3 win over the D-backs because, well, if not for that, maybe the Cubs don\u2019t win.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s rewind to the beginning of this game.<\/p>\n

The D-backs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second off Sh\u014dta Imanaga, who otherwise was throwing quite well. Sh\u014dta got helped out in the first by this slick play by Michael Busch [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

Busch has turned himself into a very good defensive first baseman. I\u2019m gonna say right now that he\u2019ll be a Gold Glove candidate this year.<\/p>\n

The Cubs tied things up in the fourth. Busch led off with a single, but two force plays left just the runner on first with two out, that runner being Pete Crow-Armstrong.<\/p>\n

PCA scored on this double by the hot-hitting Miguel Amaya [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

I\u2019m gonna say no other Cub could score on that play; PCA\u2019s speed created that run.<\/p>\n

In the bottom of the fourth, PCA showed off his arm. This turned into an inning-ending double play after review [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

The Cubs took the lead in the fifth. Jon Berti led off with a single and one out later, Kyle Tucker smashed his first homer as a Cub [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

That ball: Crushed! [VIDEO]<\/p>\n

Tucker went 3-for-4 on the evening \u2014 this is the guy the Cubs thought they were getting.<\/p>\n

After the second inning, Imanaga settled down and wound up with a strong seven-inning outing, allowing just three hits and striking out four. Here are the four K\u2019s [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

More on Sh\u014dta from BCB\u2019s JohnW53:<\/p>\n

\n

Shota Imanaga has allowed three runs in his last 27 innings, spanning five games. It began after he served up a solo homer, his third of the game, to start the fifth inning against the Dodgers at Los Angeles on Sept. 10 of last year. He pitched three subsequent scoreless innings in that game. Since then, he has given up two runs in six innings, none in seven and four innings, and one in seven innings.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And still more:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Shota Imanaga:<\/p>\n

31 MLB starts
\n15 allowing 1 or 0 runs.#Cubs are 24-7 in his starts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014 Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) March 30, 2025<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Meanwhile, the Cubs had extended the lead to 4-1 in the top of the seventh when Matt Shaw, who didn\u2019t start this game, batted for Gage Workman.<\/p>\n

He made the most of the at-bat with his first MLB home run on the first pitch he saw [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

That would turn into a very, VERY important run.<\/p>\n

Porter Hodge threw the eighth and got himself in trouble with a pair of singles leading off the inning. But then Hodge bore down and retired the next three hitters, two by strikeout. Here\u2019s his K of Pavin Smith to end the inning [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

The Cubs didn\u2019t score in the ninth so the game went to Pressly for a save opportunity, and friends, he did not do well. He allowed a leadoff single and then Su\u00e1rez went deep for the fourth time this series, and it was 4-3.<\/p>\n

I suppose you could say it\u2019s no shame to allow a home run to Su\u00e1rez, as he\u2019s been hitting them off just about everyone this weekend. But… maybe pitch him more carefully? Su\u00e1rez is 4-for-10 in the three games so far this season, all home runs, and reached base one other time on a walk, and scored a run then, too. He\u2019s leading MLB in SLG at 1.600 and leading the NL in OPS at 2.100 and has a ridiculous OPS+ of 487.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the worst idea in the world to walk him every time he comes to the plate Sunday, presuming the situation could call for an IBB.<\/p>\n

A single by Gabriel Moreno put the tying run on base. Garrett Hampson ran for Moreno. Pressly retired the next two hitters, then walked Ketel Marte, putting the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base. Yikes.<\/p>\n

Then Swanson pulled off his great play, and yes, it\u2019s worth watching again [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

Wins are wins and all that, but I could do with less drama. And Pressly is simply going to have to be better, or Craig Counsell will likely try someone else, probably Hodge.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Swanson on the game-ending play [VIDEO].<\/p>\n

The Cubs will go for the series win Sunday afternoon. Matthew Boyd will make his Cubs debut and lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez starts for Arizona. Game time is 3:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cubs had another shaky ninth inning, but a great play by Dansby Swanson nailed down the win.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":45329,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nCubs 4, Diamondbacks 3: You keep me hangin\u2019 on - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45327\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 3: You keep me hangin\u2019 on - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Cubs had another shaky ninth inning, but a great play by Dansby Swanson nailed down the win.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45327\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-30T14:08:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/avtvip-2025-03-30T210756.412.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45327\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45327\",\"name\":\"Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 3: You keep me hangin\u2019 on - 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