Andrew Cashner showed why he was a top draft pick several years ago in his first start. The rookie gave up just two hits over 5 1/3 innings, holding Arizona to one run which came off a homer by Ryan Roberts.
Unfortunately, though Cashner performed well, he ended up with a no decision after leaving the game with tightness in his right shoulder. The tightness and possible injury is new, as Cashner did not suffer any health issues in spring training. Carrie Muskat tweeted later in the afternoon that Cashner was expected to have an MRI, and that only after that would the severity of Cashner’s injury be known.
Losing Cashner would be a blow to the Cubs, who are now above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2009 season, and it’s uncertain who would be called upon to enter the rotation should Cashner be out for an extended period of time.
Tuesday’s 6-5 victory over Arizona was certainly bittersweet due to the injury. Still, several Cubs had excellent days at the plate, including Marlon Byrd and Tyler Colvin. Byrd went 3-for-4 with a run scored while Colvin hit his first home run of the year. Starlin Castro also continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-5, including another RBI double.
Though there was some shakiness on the part of the bullpen towards the end of the game, they still managed to close it out. James Russell ended up with the victory while Sean Marshall was credited with the save.
The Cubs will look to sweep the Diamondbacks tomorrow when they play the final game of the series at 1:20 P.M. CDT.