D-backs Edge Cubs 5-4, Clay Holmes Can't Hold Late Lead

The Diamondbacks walked off with a 5-4 victory over the Cubs in Phoenix, turning DarkHorse's Cubs pick (-110) into a frustrating near-miss. So much for that 1.00 ERA advantage mattering when it counted.

Clay Holmes did his part through the middle innings, keeping Arizona's bats mostly quiet and justifying the confidence in his 2.39 ERA. The Cubs built a lead that looked comfortable enough, seemingly ready to replicate their 7-0 drubbing from two days prior. But baseball has a cruel sense of humor, especially when you're banking on road offense staying hot.

Arizona chipped away late, and the Cubs bullpen—because of course it was the bullpen—couldn't slam the door. Brandon Pfaadt wasn't spectacular, but he didn't need to be. He kept his team close enough for the D-backs lineup to strike when Chicago's relievers blinked. That 3.39 ERA suddenly looked plenty good enough in a one-run game.

The Cubs' vaunted road offense (7.89 runs per game away) managed just four runs, a far cry from the dominance we saw 48 hours earlier. Turns out recent history means squat when you can't finish. Holmes held up his end of the bargain; his teammates didn't. Another "right process, wrong result" gut-punch for the Stable.