APValverde, the NL saves leader with 47 in 54 opportunities this year, walked pinch-hitter Daryle Ward with two outs in the ninth to bring up Soriano, who bounced into a game-ending forceout that capped an 0-for-5 night.
The surprising Diamondbacks, the first team since the 1906 Chicago White Sox to have the league’s best record and worst batting average, won in a fashion typical of their 90-win regular season. They got timely hits, good defense and terrific pitching.
The youngsters certainly weren’t overwhelmed by the circumstances.
“After the anthem and stuff, when we started playing, it started to become fun,” Drew said. “It’s what we were born to do, I guess you could say.”
Chicago’s run came on a bases-loaded infield single by Ryan Theriot with two outs in the sixth. Webb then struck out Zambrano, one of the game’s best hitting pitchers.
Only three of the Diamondbacks’ starters had faced Zambrano, and Drew was not among them. After striking out his first time up, he put Arizona ahead with a 432-foot drive over the pool in right-center.
Sandwiched around the big hit were two defensive gems by Drew at shortstop. He made a backhand stop of Geovany Soto’s grounder to end the fourth, then he robbed Zambrano of an RBI with a leaping grab of a line drive in the fifth.
Zambrano doubled to start the third, but Webb fanned the top three hitters in the Cubs’ lineup: Soriano, Jones and Lee.
Notes: Muhammad Ali was in attendance and was introduced to the cheering crowd in the third. ... Jerry Colangelo, who brought major league baseball to Phoenix and was managing general partner before a messy change of ownership three years ago, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Randy Johnson and received a standing ovation.
DeMarco: David Wright's hot bat — he's hitting .405 — makes him the pick for NL MVP thus far. But that's just for starters in our feature.
SEATTLE (AP) - Pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick broke a tie in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run single off Seattle closer Brandon League, and the Los Angeles Angels rallied from a 4-0 deficit for a 6-4 win over the Mariners on Friday night.