PHOENIX – Merrill Kelly pitched eight solid innings, Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks avoided the sweep in the three-game series with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Kelly (6-7) needed just 75 pitches to go eight innings. He was assisted by two spectacular catches from Kole Calhoun. The right fielder lunged for Patrick Wisdom’s line in the second inning and avoided an extra base in the third when he hit a deep tackle from Anthony Rizzo.
Kelly exited the game in the ninth inning after conceding Kris Bryant’s double to open the episode and Javier Baez’s RBI single. The right-hander allowed four runs and six hits with six strikeouts on his 82-pitch effort.
Arizona has won five of Kelly’s last six starts. Joakim Soria reached four saves a day after blowing a 2-1 lead by conceding three touchdowns in the ninth inning.
Willson Contreras – who hit a two-run homer off Soria on Saturday, struck out with a full count for the final out of the game.
Christian Walker and Nick Ahmed had two hits apiece. Josh Rojas reached base five times, four of them with a passport. Escobar’s home run was his 21st of the season and put the Diamondbacks ahead 6-2.
Arizona led 4-2 with two runs in the seventh against reliever Dan Winkler (1-2).
For the Diamondbacks, Venezuelans Escobar 3-1 with two RBIs and three runs; David Peralta 3-0.
For the Cubs, Puerto Rican Javier Báez 4-2 with two RBIs and one scored. Venezuelans Rafael Ortega 1-1 with an RBI; Willson Contreras 1-0; Robinson Chirinos 3-1 with a run scored.
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