Weathering the elements, Hammel delivers for Cubs

CHICAGO — The right hamstring that cramped and caused Jason Hammel to leave his last start after two innings is fine. So is the arm that has him 7-1 with a 2.14 ERA. And whatever you do, don’t discount Hammel’s bat — it’s not bad, either.

Hammel threw seven strong innings to lead the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the D-backs on Saturday at a rainy Wrigley Field. He also added a two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning that put the Cubs ahead.

“Another good day for Jason,” manager Joe Maddon said.

It didn’t exactly start that way.

As rain fell onto the field near game time, Hammel had a hard time gripping the ball, saying he almost launched two of his warmup pitches to the backstop. In the first inning, he left a 1-0 fastball over the plate and Jake Lamb turned it into a two-run home run. But that was the only hit Arizona got against the right-hander.

“I just tried to stay with it, [tried] to command the ball in the strike zone and [hoped] the rain would calm down,” …

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