After first pitch, it was all up hill

Games that begin with leadoff home runs are nothing new to the Cubs.But instead of Alfonso Soriano providing the moment, it was Arizona's Chris Young stunning Rich Hill and the Cubs Saturday with a home run on the night's first pitch.The Diamondbacks never trailed and went on to win 5-1 and complete the three-game sweep of the Cubs in the NLDS.The Cubs needed a big effort from the 27 year-old Hill in a game they had to win, but he was gone after just three innings, down 2-0 with 6 hits and 2 walks next to his name."I felt mentally good and physically great, then I got out there and the location of the pitches, I didn't execute the way I wanted to execute," Hill said.Young located Hill's first pitch into the left field bleachers."I should have known, he's been doing it all year, jumping on that first pitch and he did it again," Hill said. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting it, but I've seen it done a hundred times. I've seen Soriano do it. It's just something that happens."Hill was one of the many Cubs that had difficulty accepting that the season was suddenly over."You work so hard all season to get where you're at, then you have to watch the other team celebrate on your field," Hill said. "You know what that's like after you win the division, you feel that excitement, and to see them do it and be going on to the next round, it's a real empty feeling."To have it end the way it ended, it doesn't really define this team."Hill was bested by D'backs starter Livan Hernandez, who wiggled his way out of trouble time and time again to post his seventh postseason win against two losses.Hernandez worked 6 innings and gave up 5 hits to go with 5 walks, but he got the Cubs to ground into three double plays."He moved the ball around a lot and had very good location," Soriano said.Hernandez's biggest escape act came in the fifth inning when he walked the bases loaded with one out, then got Mark DeRosa to ground into a double play.The Cubs trailed 3-1 and were a hit away from being right back in the game, but with the crowd on its feet roaring, DeRosa could only tap to short."It was the one time all series I thought we really put pressure on them, and one hit could have changed the whole complexion of that game," DeRosa said. "To ground into a double play right there, you let your teammates down (and) you let the fans down. Then Eric Byrnes comes up and hits a home run to make it 4-1 and totally take the wind out of our sails."