PHOENIX, Arizona - Seiya Suzuki drove in a run with a fifth-inning double and made a fine defensive play as the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 on Monday.
The Japanese slugger put Chicago up 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning at Chase Field with a fly ball that struck near the top of the wall in the corner of left field for an RBI double.
"My swing itself wasn't great, but I managed to make solid contact and deliver a hit in a key situation, which was good," Suzuki said.
While he came within inches of home run No. 23, Suzuki wryly suggested a similar shot would have had a less favorable result on home turf in Chicago.
"I hit it off the end of the bat," he said. "At Wrigley Field, that would have just been a flyout to left."
Suzuki also made a nice catch in the bottom of the fifth, covering ground to track down a fly ball near the right-field line.
"I'm not young anymore, so relying on speed alone is tough," said Suzuki, who recently turned 32. "I always make sure to get out of the blocks quickly with my first step."
