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By John Marshall, AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX (AP) — Ben Zobrist lined a two-run double in the 15th inning, and the Chicago Cubs outlasted the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Sunday in the second-longest game in Chase Field history.
After escaping a jam in the 14th inning, Tyler Chatwood (1-0) sparked the decisive sequence with a one-out double. Albert Almora Jr. followed with a single up the middle and both scored on Zobrist’s double to the corner in right off Matt Andriese (3-2).
Kris Bryant followed with a sacrifice fly to put Chicago up 6-3.
Kyle Ryan gave up Caleb Joseph’s two-run single in the bottom half before Allen Webster got Nick Ahmed to fly out at the warning track for his first career save.
The game lasted 5 hours, 36 minutes — 10 minutes short of the longest at Chase Field.
Bryant also hit a two-run homer off Luke Weaver and Wilson Contreras had a solo shot for the Cubs, unbeaten their last six series (5-0-1).
Arizona rookie Jon Duplantier worked out of bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 12th inning and escaped another tight spot in the 13th when Contreras was thrown out at home on a delayed steal.
Eduardo Escobar homered twice and had three RBIs for the Diamondbacks. Weaver allowed three runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Chicago’s Jose Quintana was sharp against the Diamondbacks— everyone except Escobar.
The left-hander allowed five hits and two were homers by Escobar: a towering solo shot in the fourth inning and a two-run shot in the sixth that tied it at 3.
Quintana allowed five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He was 3-0 with a sparkling 0.86 ERA in his previous three starts.
DIAMONDBACKS MOVES
Arizona designated right-hander Matt Koch for assignment to make room for Duplantier’s second stint in the big leagues.
Duplantier allowed a hit and struck out four in four innings.
Koch had a 9.15 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks in nine relief appearances with the Diamondbacks this season.
TIMELY
The 15th-inning double was Zobrist’s first extra-base hit of the season. He batted .105 (4 for 38) in his previous 12 games.
TRAINER’S TABLE
Cubs: LHP Mike Montgomery (back) allowed two runs in four innings in his third rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.
Diamondbacks: RHP Taijuan Walker three a 33-pitch bullpen Saturday at Chase Field as he rehabilitates from Tommy John surgery.
UP NEXT
Cubs: LHP Cole Hamels is looking to bounce back against Seattle on Tuesday after matching a career high with six walks against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start.
Diamondbacks: RHP Merrill Kelly is holding right-handed hitters to a .222 average headed into Tuesday’s start against the New York Yankees.
