Kyle Tucker homers as the Cubs hold off the Diamondbacks for a 4-3 win

By Canadian Press on March 29, 2025.

PHOENIX (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit his first home run with the Chicago Cubs, leading his new team to a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Shota Imanaga pitched seven effective innings as Chicago bounced back from Friday’s 8-1 loss to Arizona. Ryan Pressly worked a rocky ninth inning for his first save with the Cubs.

Tucker had three hits. With one out in the fifth and Jon Berti aboard after a leadoff single, Tucker hit a drive to right off Brandon Pfaadt to give Chicago a 3-1 lead.

Tucker was acquired in a December trade with Houston.

Rookie Matt Shaw added his first major league homer for the Cubs, a pinch-hit drive to left in the seventh off Jalen Beeks.

Imanaga (1-0) allowed one run and three hits in his second start of the season.

Chicago had its lead cut to 4-3 on Eugenio Suárez’s two-run drive off Pressly in the ninth. It was Suárez’s major league-high fourth homer this season.

With two out and two runners on, Corbin Carroll hit a chopper to shortstop Dansby Swanson. The speedy Carroll reached on an infield single, but pinch-runner Garrett Hampson overran third and was tagged by Swanson for the final out of the game.

Pfaadt (0-1) allowed six hits in six innings in his first start since he agreed to a $45 million, five-year deal with Arizona.

Gage Workman made his MLB debut for the Cubs, batting eighth and playing third base. He struck out twice and made a nice play in the field, backhanding a grounder and throwing out Suárez.

Workman, a Rule 5 pick from Detroit in December, grew up in nearby Chandler and played at Arizona State.

Key moment

The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong threw out Josh Naylor trying to advance to third on a fly to center field to end the Arizona fourth. Naylor was originally ruled safe by umpire Phil Cuzzi but the call was overturned on review.

Jack Thompson, The Associated Press

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