Doug Davis killed the New York Yankees softly Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, winning a matchup with another junk-balling starter, Freddy Garcia of the Yankees, as the Chicago Cubs won the opener of a three-game series, 3-1.
Davis, a 35-year-old left-hander, won for the first time this season and is now 1-5. He pitched into the eighth inning, allowing three hits and three walks. It marked the first time he has gone that deep in a game since 2009 and was his first victory in more than a year -- the last coming on May 5, 2010. Pitching for Milwaukee, Davis was only 1-4 a season ago. Against the Yankees on Friday, though, he pitched like an ace.
Neither Davis not Garcia throws the ball more than about 85 miles-per-hour, well below major-league average. Garcia was decent, surrendering three runs in seven innings, but fell to 5-6 on the season because Davis was simply better on this day.
The Cubs scored twice in the first inning and once in the third against Garcia. The Yankees only run came in the eighth inning when Nick Swisher doubled with one out to chase Davis and scored on a two-out single by Mark Teixeira.