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Arizona Keeps It Going

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By ANDREW BAGNATO, The Associated Press

Published: October 5, 2007

PHOENIX - The youthful Arizona Diamondbacks used a combination of stalwart pitching, superb fielding and timely hitting to post the NL's best record.

There was no reason to change the script in the playoffs.
Brandon Webb shut down the Chicago Cubs, and the Diamondbacks got home runs from two of their kids in a 3-1 victory late Wednesday night in their NL playoff opener.

'I've said all year that all of us young guys were kind of thrown in the middle of this, and we kind of don't know what's going on,' said Mark Reynolds, whose seventh inning homer broke a 1-1 tie. 'We go out there and play and do what we know how to do, and that's play ball.'

Webb baffled the Cubs with his sinker, then staggered them with change-ups and curves.

'You have your ace on the mound, you always expect to win that game, especially here at home,' Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. 'It's a game that was probably a little more pressure on us to win than them.'

Webb was locked in a tight game with Carlos Zambrano until Chicago manager Lou Piniella made a questionable move. He pulled his ace after only six innings and 85 pitches because he plans to bring the right-hander back on three days' rest in Game 4.

Reynolds promptly hit a tiebreaking homer off reliever Carlos Marmol, and Arizona held on behind their stingy bullpen. Stephen Drew also had a homer for Arizona.

Did planning for Game 4 cost the Cubs in Game 1? Piniella was terse when a reporter asked if he could be accused of looking ahead.

'I'm not accused of anything, sir,' Piniella said. 'I've got a good bullpen here, OK? And I trust my bullpen. I'm bringing back a pitcher on three days' rest on Sunday, and I took a shot with my bullpen. It didn't work today. They've done it all year. I've got confidence in them - period, end of story.'

The Cubs, looking for their first World Series title in 99 years, had plenty of fan support - even on the road. The team holds spring training in nearby Mesa, and the valley is a popular retirement destination for Chicagoans.

For results of Thursday's late Cubs-Diamondbacks game, go to Keyword: Sports.

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