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CHICAGO -- Jason Hammel is certain the Cubs are better than their record so far. Hammel pitched seven strong innings, Mike Olt hit a three-run home run and Nate Schierholtz drove in a pair of early runs to lead the Cubs to a 9-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. "With a doubt," he said. "Weve played a lot of close ballgames where we could have come out on the other end. Were a young team and well figure out how to win those ball games pretty soon." Hammel (3-1) allowed just one run and four hits without walking a batter in seven innings to lower his ERA to 2.60. "Very nice job," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "He got some groundball double plays when he needed to. Made some pitches when he needed to. It was pretty efficient." Olt still is hitting below .200 for the season (.195), but has four homers and nine runs batted in despite not playing every day. The Cubs, whove won three of four to improve to 7-12, have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. They last won consecutive games on Sept. 9 and 10 of last season against the Cincinnati Reds. Their last consecutive home wins came on Sept. 4 and 6 against Miami and Milwaukee. Brandon McCarthy (0-4) lowered his ERA from 7.11 to 6.23 because only one of five runs allowed was earned. He yielded seven hits in five innings. Arizona has dropped four straight and has the worst record in the majors at 5-18. "It was a carbon copy of the game (Monday)," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We made an error there, gave them life and then Brandon got behind in the count 3-1 and Olt hit a ball down over the plate, a pretty big pop into that wind. "We didnt mount any pressure again offensively so I dont know what to tell ya," he said. In the third inning, Luis Valbuena stroked a one-out double to left-centre field and then scored two batters later on a two-out single by Schierholtz. In the fifth, Schierholtz drove in Valbuena again, this time on a sacrifice fly to right field, for a 2-0 lead. Valbuena led off the inning with a single, went to second on a groundout and then reached third as Arizona second baseman Martin Prado dropped Anthony Rizzos grounder for an error. The Cubs took advantage. Given the extra out, Starlin Castro singled to put two runners on and Olt followed with a homer into the right field bleachers for a 5-0 lead. "I think it probably helped me," Olt said of the wind. "I wasnt trying to hit a home run. I was just trying to put the ball in play and hit it hard." Arizona finally got on the board against Hammel in the sixth when Tuffy Gosewisch led off with a homer. The Cubs then broke things open with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, while the Diamondbacks got one back in the ninth. NOTES: Wednesday is the 100th anniversary of the first game at Wrigley Field, which then was known as Weeghman Park, between the Chicago Federals and Kansas City Packers of the Federal League. The Cubs will wear replica Federal uniforms for the game, while Arizona will wear Packers uniforms. . Diamondbacks OF Mark Trumbo didnt start because of soreness in his left foot. The injury occurred late in Mondays game. . Now that RHP Jose Veres no longer is closing games, Renteria will hunt for opportunities to get Veres on the mound so he can work out his problems. "It could be at any moment," Renteria said. "We could be up by 10 (or) down by 10. He needs to pitch. Hes talked about he wants to get back on the mound and throw." . LHP Wade Miley (2-2) is scheduled to face Chicago RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-2) on Wednesday. Bill Russell Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. John Havlicek Jersey . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-danny-ainge-celtics-jersey/ . Freddie Roach said if the Rios fight "does not go well, we will seriously talk about his retirement," but that Pacquiao was training as well as ever for the Nov. Larry Bird Celtics Jersey .S.-Cuba relations means baseball prospects get off the island and into the major leagues without payoffs to smugglers and threats from kidnappers, its hard to see the downside. Walter Brown Jersey . The kind he has every so often. The kind he has when Dwyane Wade sits. James scored 43 points -- 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display -- and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United named Wayne Rooney as its new captain on Tuesday shortly after the team beat Valencia 2-1 in manager Louis van Gaals first home game in charge of the English Premier League club. Rooney will wear the armband in Uniteds season opener against Swansea City with Darren Fletcher named the vice-captain. The striker takes over the captaincy from Nemanja Vidic who joined Italian club Inter Milan in the off-season. Substitute Marouane Fellaini scored in second-half stoppage time in Uniteds final warm-up game ahead of the start of the new season. Van Gaal, who signed a three-year contract to succeed David Moyes at Old Trafford, had enjoyed a strong pre-season winning all five of the clubs matches on their tour of the United States. Despite the late victory, van Gaal was critical of his team ahead of the start of the season. "I think it was our worst match today. There was a lot of wrong choices, wrong passes and we didnt press so good," said the United boss. However he was quick to praise the home crowd after walking out at Old Trafford for the first time. "Fantastic. They (the fans) are shouting and screaming your name," noted the 62-year-old Wayne Rooney spurrned the chance to give the hosts a first-half lead, when his penalty was saved by goalkeeper Diego Alves in the 32nd minute.dddddddddddd. Rooney had seconds earlier been felled in the penalty area by defender Antonio Barragan. United broke the deadlock shortly after the restart when Darren Fletcher slotted home from the edge of the area. Ashley Youngs 49th minute corner eventually fell into his path and the Scottish international netted albeit with the aid of a deflection. Valencia almost equalized in the 65th minute when Rodrigos goalbound header was flicked off the line by Javier Hernandez. The visitors were undeterred, and continued to press forward in search of a goal. They were deservedly rewarded in the 71st when Rodrigo blazed a first-time volley into the roof of the net following a free-kick. Moments later, substitute Pablo Piatti poked a shot wide from close range. After being picked out by Jose Gaya on the left wing, he slid his attempt past David De Geas right-hand post and the La Liga side were left to rue that miss when Fellaini struck late on. "At the end we are the winner because we are fighting to the last minute and that is also a good signal I believe," added van Gaal. ' ' '