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CHICAGO -- Jeff Samardzija mixed a strong start with an impressive performance at the plate. Samardzija hit a two-run home run and pitched eight sharp innings for his first win since opening day and the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Wednesday night. David DeJesus led off the first inning with a home run and Anthony Rizzo had two hits for the Cubs, who won back-to-back series for the first time this season. Reid Brignac hit a pinch-hit homer for the Rockies, who finished a 2-4 road trip. Samardzija (2-5) allowed two runs and five hits. He struck out seven and walked two, but the highlight came on his two-run homer in the second inning. "I need to slow down around the bases and enjoy it a little bit. It doesnt happen too often. We work a lot in hitting. (Pitching coach Chris) Bosio has us hitting out there every day in the cages. Its an important at-bat," Samardzija said. "You just cant accept the out as a pitcher. Its the same out as every other. You roll the lineup over and get the top coming up and it changes the game." Colorado starter Jon Garland (3-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one. "I dont want to come out of these games, its not my choice. Id like to keep going and see if I can continue to give the team a chance. It almost seems like Im hurting the team more than Im helping the team only going five," Garland said. DeJesus snapped Garlands 18 1-3 scoreless inning streak against the Cubs with a leadoff home run into the left-field bleachers in the first inning. It was DeJesus second leadoff homer of the season and 14th of his career. Samardzija gave up the lead in the second inning on Josh Rutledges RBI single. After a two-out double by Darwin Barney, Samardzija got the lead back on a two-run shot to left to make it 3-1. It was Samardzijas first of the season and second of his career. Yorvit Torrealba grounded into a double play to end the second inning which set off a string of 10 consecutive batters retired by Samardzija. "He just used his whole repertoire tonight. He knew what he was doing tonight, he was pitching, he just wasnt out there throwing. He was mixing it up, keeping them a little off-balanced, broke a lot of bats again tonight," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. Samardzija bounced back from his worst outing of the season. He allowed a season-high eight hits and seven runs -- five earned -- in five innings of a 7-3 loss at Washington. "Call me crazy, but I thought I did some good things in Washington. I thought I got back on track with my fastball. I just didnt pitch in enough against Washington, but overall when I looked back at the film I was happy with the way I threw. The outcome wasnt what you wanted but I knew I just had to carry that into tonight," Samardzija said. In the sixth inning, Brignac led off with a pinch-hit home run to centre. It was his first career pinch-hit homer and cut the Cubs lead to 3-2. Samardzija got help from his defence in the seventh inning. With two outs, Rutledge lined a double off the wall in left field, Alfonso Soriano made a good relay throw to shortstop Starlin Castro, who was able to throw out Rutledge attempting a double. The Rockies have not won back-to-back games since a season-high eight-game winning streak April 12-20. They have not won a three-game series at Wrigley Field since Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2006. "We gotta put together some consistent performances. But overall, weve played fairly well on the road," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. In Samardzijas seven other starts, he endured a shaky bullpen and lack of timely hitting from his offence before getting his first win since April 1. The Cubs added to the lead in the seventh. After a sacrifice bunt by Samardzija, Castro and Rizzo hit back-to-back RBI singles. Castros hit came on a hit-and-run and Rizzo hit a hard grounder between the legs of Todd Helton at first base. Castro came around to score on Sorianos fielders choice to make it 6-2. In the ninth inning, Cubs closer Kevin Gregg gave up a two-out RBI single to Rutledge in a non-save situation. It was the first run he allowed in 11 appearances. He finished the game by getting Wilin Rosario to fly out to centre with runners on first and third. NOTES: Samardzijas other home run came on Sept. 23, 2009 at Milwaukee. ... RHP Jhoulys Chacin is Colorados scheduled starter against San Francisco on Thursday. He is on a three-game losing streak against the Giants. ... The wave got going in the bottom of the seventh inning, an oddity at Wrigley Field. ... Rizzo has not struck out in his past 32 plate appearances, dating back to May 7th against the Cardinals. Cheap NFL Jerseys Shop . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. Wholesale Jerseys Authenitc . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.wholesalechinajerseys.net/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Cheap NBA Jerseys China . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Cheap NFL jerseys China . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. WASHINGTON -- The New York Mets starting rotation remains fluid with 18 games remaining in the regular season. But it doesnt appear as though Rafael Montero will be part of it moving forward.He struggled with command for the third straight outing as the Washington Nationals beat the Mets 8-1 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.Montero walked three Nationals in the first inning, including Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos with the bases loaded. He lasted 1 2/3 innings for the shortest of his 12 career big league starts, allowing five hits and six runs with four walks and two strikeouts.Manager Terry Collins was not sure who would start the next time Monteros turn comes up, but he ruled out giving the right-hander another opportunity.Its pretty frustrating, because he does have good stuff, Collins said. You can see when hes actually throwing strikes, theres not a lot of good swings. But he gets himself in trouble because he gets behind in counts.Over his last three starts, Montero has allowed 14 walks in 11 innings.It doesnt matter where they put me, Montero said. I just have to continue doing my job. I think what I tried to do is just get ahead of hitters, but unfortunately sometimes things dont work out.Collins did not rule out the possibility of Jacob deGrom taking Monteros spot in the rotation, although deGrom may need more time to recover from forearm soreness that has kept him out since Sept.1. He threw a 35-pitch bullpen session at Nationals Park Monday afternoon.Anybody could be in the mix for that spot, Collins said.Mat Latos threw 4 1/3 innings in his first start with the Nationals allowing three hits and one run with three walks and four strikeouts. His first start with the Nationals was cut short due to hamstring tightness. Reynanldo Lopez (3-3) combined with three relievers for 4 2/3 scoreless innings.Montero struggled early Monday walking three Nationals in the first inning, including Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos with the bases loaded.Nationals pitcher Mat Latos led off the second with a solo homer over the left field fence, before Daniel Murphy doubled and Harper was intentionally walked. The move backfired as Rendon then delivered his 18th homer of the season to put the Nationals ahead 6-1.dddddddddddd It was the 60th and final pitch of Monteros outing.Jose Reyes hit a leadoff double in the first and later scored on a Yoenis Cespedes RBI sac fly to give New York a short-lived 1-0 lead.Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman added RBI singles for Washington off Mets reliever Gabriel Ynoa.With the win, the Nationals increased their lead in the National League East to 10 games -- their largest cushion of the season- and reduced their magic number to nine to clinch their third division title in five years.BACKMAN NOT RETURNING:Former Mets infielder Wally Backman will not return as the organizations Triple-A manager in 2017. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters that Backman has decided to move on, after working in New Yorks minor league system since 2010. Backman spent the last four seasons as manager of the Las Vegas 51s.TRAINERS ROOMMets: Infielder Wilmer Flores missed his second straight game with a stiff neck. Manager Terry Collins said that Flores tried to hit Monday afternoon but his neck remained sore. Flores was injured Saturday after a home plate collision with Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski.Nationals: Manager Dusty Baker is optimistic that RHP Joe Ross (shoulder inflammation) will soon be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. Ross, who last pitched for the Nationals on July 2, threw a simulated game Saturday after making two rehab starts with Triple-A Syracuse.UP NEXTMets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (13-8) looks to snap a personal three-game losing streak against the Nationals as he makes his fifth start of the season against the NL East leaders. Syndergaard threw seven innings and allowed two runs on three hits in a 4-1 loss to Washington Sept.2 at Citi Field.Nationals: RHP A.J. Cole (1-1) will make his fifth start of the season Tuesday and his second against the Mets. Coles best outing came Sept.2 in New York when he allowed one run and three hits over six innings for his first career Major League win. ' ' '