Arizona Diamondbacks Turn Sluggers In Rout Over Cubbies in Chicago Today

By Paul Rubin Thu., Apr. 29 2010 at 5:35 PM

Just maybe, the furor over Arizona's over-the-top illegal immigration bill, SB 1070, has had an unintended positive effect on our local major-league baseball team.

The D-Backs scored in double digits for the second straight game today, crunching the Chicago Cubs 13-5 in an afternoon tilt at venerable Wrigley Field, disappointing some anti-Arizona folks (pissed at the state and its politics, not necessarily the ball team) who made their negative feelings known with placards and verbal protests.

It was an especially beautiful day for starting pitcher Ian Kennedy, who won his first game in 2 1/2 years -- a September 2007 win in his big-league debut with the mighty New York Yankees.

Kennedy's third strong start in a row was an unexpected plus for Arizona. Hey, the dude underwent surgery on his pitching shoulder for an aneurysm just about six months ago.

Our unforgiving -- and so very unofficial -- jury has been deliberating about new D-Back first baseman Adam LaRoche throughout this young season, but he sure won us over today:

Two home runs and five RBIs has a way of making friends and influencing people.

Arizona reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 16, and now sits at 11-11 going into the second game of the four-game series with the ever-troubled Cubbies.

That game, sports fans, will start at 11:20 in the morning Arizona time, and will be televised on Channel 34, FSAZ, on on the radio at KTAR, 620 AM. For more information go to www.diamondbacks.com.