Conforto, Kelly homer as Cubs blank Diamondbacks 7-0

PHOENIX (AP) Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers, Kevin Gausman gave up just three hits over seven innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 on Monday night.

The Cubs moved to 5 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Brewers were off Monday.

Conforto and Kelly hit their homers off reliever Taylor Clarke with two outs in the sixth, breaking open a tight game. Conforto’s two-run shot to right field made it 4-0 and then Kelly – who played 4 1/2 seasons with the Diamondbacks – hurt his former team with a solo smash to left.

That was plenty of support for Gausman (2-1), who cruised through the D-backs’ lineup, needing just 94 pitches to complete his seven innings. The right-hander gave up three hits and a walk while striking out six in his best outing for the Cubs since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second when Pedro Ramírez smacked a triple down the right-field line that scored Ian Happ. They pushed the advantage to 2-0 in the fifth when Seiya Suzuki’s double off the left-field wall brought home Conforto.

Conforto reached base four times, hitting a single, double and homer while also drawing a walk. Happ and Ramírez both had two hits.

D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly (8-12) gave up three runs on five hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four.

Arizona managed just five hits – all of them singles. Corbin Carroll stole two bases.

The D-backs send RHP Brandon Pfaadt (7-1, 3.39 ERA) on Tuesday against Cubs RHP Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.49).

—

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Expert Picks

View all 5 picks

Under 16.5-125

Merrill Kelly • Outs Recorded • Player Prop

Picked Aug 24 @ 7:45 pm, 1 unit on BetMGM

FanDuel (-136). Merrill Kelly has really struggled this season. Pitching to a 5.37 ERA, he’s actually a regression candidate, with his expected ERA at 7.23. His last two starts have yielded six earned runs in each, and his leash has shortened (80, 71 and 86 pitches over his last three). The Diamondbacks bullpen isn’t in great shape, but Arizona is battling for playoff positioning, and don’t have the luxury to mess around if Kelly is getting shelled. And he might tonight – the Cubs have sported an .818 OPS over the last two weeks versus righties, and have the third lowest team chase rate.

Prop’s Pick

Over 2.5+137

Merrill Kelly • Walks Allowed • Player Prop

Picked Aug 24 @ 5:05 pm, 0.25 unit on Caesars

Merrill Kelly relies on chase to be effective, and he’ll face off with a Cubs lineup that chases pitches out of the zone at the 5th lowest rate in the league. Chicago has led the league in working free passes from right-handed pitchers for the entire season, and they’ve remained above a 10% walk rate during the 2nd half (2nd in MLB). Kelly has walked an astonishing 40 batters in 70 innings when facing a lefty, as opposed to 17 in 52 innings to righties, so it will be on PCA, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch to grab some walks tonight. The DBacks used six relievers yesterday so if they push Kelly a bit further, we may get the extra walk we need.

Angelo’s Pick

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cubs 76-56	0	1	0	0	1	3	2	0	0	7	10	0
Diamondbacks 69-63	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0

Chase FieldPhoenix, AZ

W: K. Gausman (7-11)L: M. Kelly (8-12)S: (0)
HR: CHC – C. Kelly (8), M. Conforto (12)

K. Gausman

P

7.0 IP, BB, 6 SO, 94 P
M. Conforto

DH

3-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, 2B

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	AVG
P. Crow-Armstrong CF	5	0	0	0	.278
S. Suzuki RF	5	0	1	1	.269
M. Busch 1B	3	1	0	0	.243
A. Bregman 3B	5	1	1	0	.256
I. Happ LF	5	1	2	1	.220
N. Hoerner SS	3	0	0	1	.262
P. Ramirez 2B	4	1	2	1	.290
M. Conforto DH	3	2	3	2	.232
C. Kelly C	3	1	1	1	.262

HITTERS	AB	H	AVG
L. Nootbaar DH	3	0	.217
a- J. Fernandez PH	1	1	.269
C. Carroll RF	3	0	.251
G. Moreno C	4	0	.303
G. Perdomo SS	4	1	.246
M. Kepler LF	3	1	.219
b- J. Lawlar PH	1	0	.281
N. Arenado 3B	3	0	.239
T. Tawa 1B	3	1	.251
I. Vargas 2B	3	1	.262
R. Waldschmidt CF	3	0	.273

a-singled for Nootbaar in the 9th
b-lined out for Kepler in the 9th

2B – S. Suzuki (25), I. Happ (24), M. Conforto (13)
3B – P. Ramirez (2)
HR – M. Conforto (12), C. Kelly (8)
SF – N. Hoerner (7)
RBI – S. Suzuki (75), I. Happ (58), N. Hoerner (59), P. Ramirez (21), M. Conforto 2 (33), C. Kelly (45)
2-Out RBI – S. Suzuki, P. Ramirez, M. Conforto 2 (2), C. Kelly
Runners left in scoring position, 2-Out – P. Crow-Armstrong 2 (2), S. Suzuki, A. Bregman, P. Ramirez

Runners left in scoring position, 2-Out – G. Perdomo, J. Lawlar

SB – C. Carroll 2 (20)
CS – T. Tawa (4)

PITCHERS	IP	H	BB	SO	ERA
K. Gausman(W, 7-11)	7.0	3	1	6	4.37
R. Zeferjahn	1.0	0	0	0	3.99
C. Thielbar	1.0	2	0	0	5.09

PITCHERS	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
M. Kelly(L, 8-12)	5.2	5	3	3	4	5.35
T. Clarke	0.1	2	2	0	0	2.61
D. Jameson	2.0	3	2	1	0	5.12
J. Burgos	1.0	0	0	0	0	2.45

Pitches-Strikes – K. Gausman 94-67, R. Zeferjahn 10-8, C. Thielbar 22-15
Ground Balls-Fly Balls – K. Gausman 7-4, R. Zeferjahn 3-0, C. Thielbar 1-1
Batters Faced – K. Gausman 24, R. Zeferjahn 3, C. Thielbar 5

Pitches-Strikes – M. Kelly 99-60, T. Clarke 8-6, D. Jameson 40-27, J. Burgos 12-7
Ground Balls-Fly Balls – M. Kelly 7-6, T. Clarke 0-3, D. Jameson 2-2, J. Burgos 1-1
Batters Faced – M. Kelly 25, T. Clarke 3, D. Jameson 10, J. Burgos 3