![September 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) hits an RBI double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field.](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,g_center,q_60,w_645/7559831128f117a0be62c16d6a446a77.jpg)
Christopher Morel, Cody Bellinger and Dansby Swanson each hit solo home runs in the third inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the visit Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Sunday.
Swanson added a runscoring single on his three-hit day and Morel also hit a triple for Chicago (77-67), which avoided being swept in this four-game set.
Kyle Hendricks (6-7) allowed seven hits, but only two runs, in 5 2/3 innings for the Cubswho has a two-game lead over the Diamond ridges for the second wildcard spot in the Netherlands.
Seby Zavala was picked up off waivers by Arizona (75-69) this week and went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Tommy Pham also had two hits as Diamond ridges stranded eight runners and saw a four-game winning streak come to an end.
After scoring a total of four points in the first three games of the series, Chicago wasted no time getting on the board on Sunday. Although Morel was tagged out in a rundown on Nico Hoerner’s bouncer to left of the mound after opening the bottom of the first inning with a triple, Seiya Suzuki ultimately delivered an RBI ground-rule double against Arizona opener Joe Mantiply (1- 2).
Morel atoned for his on-base blunder in the third when he greeted Brandon Pfaadt by hitting a pitch deep into the left field stands for his 21st home run. Bellinger and Swanson went back-to-back on Pfaadt later in the inning as the Cubs generated offense that eluded them for most of the series.
Arizona broke through against Hendricks in the fifth. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. opened the frame with a ground-rule double, went to third base on Emmauel Rivera’s hit and reached center on Zavala’s single for a 4-1 game. However, Chicago got the run back on Swanson’s RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the frame.
The Diamond ridges put runners on second and third base with no one out in the sixth, but they scored only one run on Alek Thomas’ sacrifice fly.
Pfaadt pitched the final six innings for the Diamond ridgesallowing four runs on seven hits and four strikeouts with a walk.
— Field-level media