Randy Wells threw six strong innings, allowing just a leadoff homer to Willie Bloomquist, and the Cubs ran through almost their entire bullpen before holding off the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 on a 47-degree day with the wind whipping out to right field at 15-20 MPH.
Wells walked four, but struck out six and was never in much trouble after the first inning. Meanwhile, the Cubs came back with Alfonso Soriano’s second homer in as many days to tie the game, went ahead on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Pena in the fourth, and scored a pair of insurance runs in the eighth, before Carlos Marmol got the D’backs in the ninth for his second save of the season.
Announced attendance of 26,282 included many thousands of no-shows; it appeared that no more than about 10,000 were in the house, and many of those left early.
Late in the game Pena suffered a sprained thumb while making a play at first base; Reed Johnson batted for him and Pena is reported as day-to-day. The Cubs take on the D’backs again tomorrow at 1:20 with Andrew Cashner making his first major league start. TV coverage will again be on CSN Chicago.