PHOENIX _ There were several eyebrows raised when the Arizona Diamondbacks posted a starting lineup that looked more like a March split-squad game without Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and Eduardo Escobar.
But the backups responded with four runs in the first inning off left-hander Cole Hamels as the Chicago Cubs were limited to one hit by Robbie Ray and three relievers in a 9-0 loss at Chase Field.
The loss, combined with the Milwaukee Brewers' win over the Cincinnati Reds, cut the Cubs' lead to 2 { games in the National League Central while their magic number for clinching the division title remained at eight.
Christian Walker, Goldschmidt's replacement at first base, smacked a three-run home run. Chris Owings, starting in place of Pollock in center field, hit a 140-foot single with two outs to score Patrick Kivlehan, who smacked a triple to left center after Walker hit his home run.
Owings smacked a two-run home run off Hamels to cap a three-run sixth.
Hamels was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Hamels hadn't allowed more than three runs in any of his previous nine starts since joining the Cubs.
Addison Russell hit a single to lead off the third for the Cubs' lone hit. Ray struck out the next three batters and finished with eight strikeouts.
Kris Bryant struck out four times.
Manager Joe Maddon rested Daniel Murphy and Jason Heyward as the Cubs conclude a stretch of 30 consecutive days with a scheduled game.
