Cubs come up short

PHOENIX — Time and time again, Arizona found ways to get out of trouble.

Three double plays, including one for the final two outs, earned the Diamondbacks a 4-3 win over the Cubs and a split of their four-game series.

Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz got out of a runners-at-the-corners, one-out jam after a leadoff double, a deep flyout from Carlos Pena caught in front of the right-field fence, a walk and pinch hitter Jeff Baker grounding into the double play.

“Fortunately I got the ball in on Pena just enough,” Putz said.

A visit at the mound with catcher Miguel Montero produced an agreed-upon first-pitch slider, and the plan worked.

Manager Kirk Gibson’s game plan also included being aggressive on the basepaths. Montero going from first to third on a single and Ryan Roberts breaking for home and scoring on a safety squeeze bunt in the Diamondbacks’ 3-run fourth inning were keys to the win.

“Our plan is to be aggressive when we can,” Gibson said. “When things aren’t working the conventional way you try and push the issue sometimes, and it worked.”

Daniel Hudson (2-4) pitched 7 solid innings won his second straight start after allowing 3 runs against Philadelphia April 26. He gave up 3 runs and 8 hits.

The Diamondbacks scored 3 runs in the fourth inning on a balk, sacrifice bunt and wild pitch. Cubs starter Casey Coleman balked home the first run with Montero on third. Then, with runners at first and third and one out, Hudson laid down a bunt and Roberts beat the throw home.

“If you research that play around the game, you’ll find a lot of times that that play, it forces other mistakes,” Gibson said.

The third run scored when the bases were loaded and Coleman (1-2) uncorked a wild pitch allowing Gerardo Parra to score. He had been intentionally walked.

Coleman (1-2) allowed 4 runs and 4 hits in 5 innings.

Trailing 4-1, the Cubs rallied in the seventh as Geovany Soto had a 2-run double after Marlon Byrd singled and Pena walked.

Soto was left stranded at third, as Hudson retired pinch hitter Tyler Colvin on a comebacker to the mound.

“The little things along the way when you are in a 4-3 contest, they add up,” Cubs manager Mike Quade said.

Alfonso Soriano led off the second inning with a double, then eventually scored on a groundout by Pena. The Diamondbacks tied it at 1-1 with Roberts’ sixth home run of the season in the bottom of the second.

David Hernandez and Putz each threw a scoreless inning for Arizona, Putz earning his sixth save.