Cubs zap Diamondbacks

CHICAGO, Illinois — Jon Lester rebounded from a poor outing and Javier Baez from a sore knee.

Lester bounced back from his worst start of the season by pitching one-run ball over six innings, and the Chicago Cubs broke an eighth-inning tie on shortstop Nick Ahmed’s throwing error in a 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Lester allowed four hits while striking out seven and walking none. He had given up a season-high eight runs in the first three innings an 18-5 loss to St. Louis last week. Still, he is 9-1 in his last 11 starts.

“I felt a lot better,�? Lester said. “Obviously the results are night-and-day compared to last time.�?

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant didn’t start for the second straight day because of a recurrence of the left shoulder inflammation that caused the slugger to miss 16 games between June 22 and July 11.

Manager Joe Maddon didn’t know if Bryant’s injury flare-up might lead to another stint on the DL.

Baez bruised his knee when Arizona’s Steven Souza Jr. slid hard into the All-Star at second base in the seventh inning of the Diamondbacks’ 5-1 win on Tuesday night.

Chicago mounted the go-ahead rally against T.J. McFarland (2-2) without getting a ball out of the infield.

Baez pinch hit leading off the inning and squibbed a single toward the mound. McFarland threw wide of first, and Baez advanced to second.

After pitcher Tyler Chatwood ran for Baez, who didn’t start because of a sore left knee, Ian Happ walked and pinch-hitter Jason Heyward bounced to Ketel Marte.

The second baseman flipped to Ahmed for a force-out at second, but Ahmed’s throw to first sailed over first baseman Paul Goldschmidt for an error as he tried to complete a double play.

“I did not have a good grip,�? Ahmed said.

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