Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks

On Wednesday morning, manager Torey Lovullo credited Jordan Lawlar taking a 98.5 mph fastball to the helmet with jump-starting the D-backs’ five-run rally that culminated with Tuesday’s walk-off win. On Wednesday afternoon during the D-backs’ 2-0 win in the series finale against the Cubs at Chase Field, Lawlar lit the fuse again, this time with his bat. With the game knotted in a scoreless tie leading off the bottom of the sixth, Lawlar sent a Matthew Boyd changeup the opposite way to right field for his third homer of the season and the D-backs’ second lead of the series. That was also the D-backs’ first run of the series against Cubs starting pitching, and it was all they managed in six innings against Boyd, but it was enough because D-backs left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez shut out the Cubs on two hits over seven innings, striking out nine in a much-needed gem. “Everything was working,” Rodriguez said. “It was one of those days where you just go out there and follow your catcher, throw what the catcher is calling. This is the best I’ve felt all year on the mound.” Rodriguez’s line nearly took a hit, but the D-backs caught a break in the top of the sixth.