Moreno singles in winning run, Diamondbacks beat Cubs 7-6 in 13 innings
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 16: Pete Crow-Armstrong #52 of the Chicago Cubs reacts while batting against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 16, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks def
CHICAGO - Gabriel Moreno singled to right to score Evan Longoria in the 13th inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 7-6 on Saturday night.
With runners at the corners and two outs, Emmanuel Rivera hit liner off pitcher Hayden Wesneski's shoulder that rebounded toward shortstop. Dansby Swanson let the ball bounce, but it spun away from him for a hit that allowed the tying run to score. Moreno' followed with his single, and Longoria slid headfirst and got his left hand around Yan Gomes' mitt after the catcher gloved Seiya Suzuki's throw.
The Diamondbacks closed within a half-game of the Cubs for the second NL wild-card berth and are tied with Cincinnati for the third and final spot, with Miami a half-game behind the tied teams. The Cubs lost their fourth in a row and fell 6 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
At 4 hours, 24 minutes, it was the longest game of season, topping 4:10 for a Texas-Minnesota matchup Aug. 27.
Joe Mantiply (2-2), the eighth Arizona pitcher, worked two innings. Wesneski (2-5) took the loss.
Each team scored in the 10th. Hoerner, the automatic runner at second, stole third and scored when Moreno's throw got away. But the Diamondbacks tied it on Corbin Carroll's RBI single in the bottom half.
Hoerner singled in a run in the Cubs' 11th, but Lourdes Gurriel's third RBI of the night scored the tying run.
Christian Walker's ground-rule double produced the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Tommy Pham who had led off with a triple. Walker scored on Gurriel‘s two-out single.
But the Cubs chased Kyle Davies in the fifth and took the lead. A double, an infield single and a walk loaded the bases to start the inning and end Davies' night. Luis Frias relieved and walked Nico Hoerner on a full count to force in a run. A double play scored the tying run and Cody Bellinger singled sharply to right to give Chicago a 3-2 edge.
The Diamondbacks used three consecutive singles to tie it and knock out Kyle Hendricks. Gurriel again drove in the run and José Cuas relieved. Hendricks allowed seven hits and three runs. He walked one and struck out three.
Davies gave up five hits and three runs in four-plus innings, walking two and striking out five.
NOT VALENTINE'S DAY
First base umpire Junior Valentine had two calls overturned in the top of the fourth.
Bellinger hit a towering fly down the right-field line that Valentine initially ruled a two-run homer. Arizona challenged the ruling and the call was reversed on replay. Bellinger then struck out on a changeup from Davies.
After another out, Seiya Suzuki hit a grounder to third, and Valentine called Suzuki out on a close play. This time Chicago challenged and again the replay in a reversal and resulted in a single.
A third call was later overturned. Second base umpire Nic Lentz ruled Ian Happ safe on a stolen-base attempt in the seventh before review changed it to an out.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Placed RHP Michael Fulmer on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain. Fulmer had been sidelined with the same ailment from Aug. 26 to Monday, when he picked up a save at Colorado. That was his only appearance since returning.
Daniel Palencia, who had been optioned to Iowa on Friday to make room for the return of fellow RHP Marcus Stroman, was recalled Saturday to replace Fulmer.
"He didn't recover well from the Colorado outing," Cubs manager David Ross said of Fulmer, who is 3-5 with a 4.22 ERA. "It's a tough loss he's somebody who been really important to our success down there."
NEXT
The series concludes Sunday night with Cubs rookie LHP Jordan Wicks (3-0, 1.99) facing Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson (7-8, 5.53).