Diamondbacks Match Last Year’s Win Total

With almost one-third of the season left, the Arizona Diamondbacks already have matched their victory total of last season.

Steve Finley homered and Arizona took advantage of three straight errors in the sixth inning to score two more runs, beating the Chicago Cubs, 3-1, Tuesday.

“People can call us a surprise,” Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez said, “but this is a totally different team than last year.”

Arizona (65-49), which opened a 6 1/2-game lead over second-place San Francisco in the National League West, has won four in a row and 16 of 20. The Diamondbacks finished last with a 65-97 record last year in their inaugural season.

The Cubs, last this year after winning the NL wild card, outhit Arizona, 9-5, but stranded 12 runners.

“Last year, we would’ve won that game,” second baseman Mickey Morandini said. “It’s very frustrating. This team is better than this.”

Finley tied the score in the second with his 22nd homer, and Arizona took advantage of the sloppy fielding in the sixth, which included errors by shortstop Jose Nieves on consecutive plays. Chicago has made 99 errors, fourth-most in the NL.

“He’s a good shortstop and good shortstops make errors,” Cub Manager Jim Riggleman said. “We just fell apart there in the one inning.”

Greg Swindell (2-0) pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-hit, shutout relief.

Diamondback starter Brian Anderson left in the second after he was hit in the left arm by a line drive off the bat of Henry Rodriguez.

Anderson sustained a bruised elbow.

Florida 8, San Francisco 7--Dave Berg went four for four with four RBIs, including his second straight game-winning single, and the Marlins rallied past the Giants in 12 innings at Miami.

Ellis Burks homered twice and drove in three runs for the Giants, who have lost five of six.

Florida, which has won five straight, overcame a 6-2 deficit and led, 7-6, before Bill Mueller’s two-out RBI single in the ninth off Antonio Alfonseca, who had converted his previous 10 save chances.

Milwaukee 2, Colorado 1--Dave Nilsson singled home the winning run in the 10th inning as the Brewers beat the Rockies at Milwaukee after Pedro Astacio held them hitless until the seventh.

Astacio lost his bid for a no-hitter when Rich Becker led off the seventh with a single to left.

New York 4, San Diego 3--Rickey Henderson scored the tiebreaking run on John Olerud’s single in the seventh inning at New York as the Mets ended their three-game losing streak.

Roger Cedeno tied Mookie Wilson’s team record with his 58th stolen base.

Philadelphia 7, St. Louis 5--Ron Gant crushed his former team, delivering a three-run double in the eighth off Ricky Bottalico at Philadelphia.

Gant drilled an 0-and-1 pitch to the right-center gap with the bases loaded to complete a stirring four-run inning.

It also spoiled a big night for J.D. Drew, who responded to ferocious booing in his first game in Philadelphia since his contract squabble with the Phillies two years ago, with a triple, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base.

Mark McGwire left the game in the second because of tightness in his lower back.

Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh 1--Mike Cameron hit a two-run homer to help Juan Guzman earn his first National League win at Pittsburgh.

The Reds (66-45) improved to a season-best 21 games over .500 and are 38-16 on the road, a record better than the home mark of every major league team except Oakland, which is 41-18.

Guzman (1-1) pitched seven strong innings, giving up three singles and Warren Morris’ 12th home run. He walked two and struck out seven.