Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| CHC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 8 | 1 |
The Story
The Chicago Cubs held off the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 at Wrigley Field on May 1, 2026, in a game that swung dramatically in the late innings. The Cubs built their margin early, scoring three runs in the first inning and three more in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead, but Arizona mounted a significant comeback, plating one in the third and then erupting for four runs in the sixth. That sixth-inning rally was headlined by a Geraldo Perdomo home run off Ryan Rolison, the single most impactful offensive play of the game at plus-22.0 percent win probability, trimming the deficit to 6-5 and shifting the DiamondIQ model's estimate of a Cubs win down from what had been a comfortable cushion.
The final chapter was written by the Cubs bullpen, particularly Jacob Webb, who handled a tense ninth inning against the heart of the Arizona order. Ildemaro Vargas drew a walk that carried a plus-10.6 percent win-probability swing, representing the Diamondbacks' best threat to tie or take the lead, but Webb responded by striking out Corbin Carroll at minus-10.1 percent for Arizona and inducing a Ketel Marte forceout at minus-8.9 percent to end the game. Webb finished as the top pitcher in win probability added at plus-25.9 percent, making him the clearest difference-maker on the mound. Dansby Swanson contributed a pivotal groundout in the eighth off Kevin Ginkel that added plus-7.8 percent for Chicago, helping the Cubs protect their one-run lead.
Ildemaro Vargas led all batters with a plus-21.2 percent WPA and a plus-1.7 RE24, driven largely by that ninth-inning walk that kept Arizona's faint rally alive momentarily. Perdomo posted the top RE24 of the game at plus-2.2 alongside his plus-16.8 percent WPA, reflecting how consequential his home run was in making the contest close. Swanson added plus-13.7 percent WPA for the Cubs. The DiamondIQ model opened with Chicago as a 65 percent favorite and closed at 100 percent after Webb secured the final out, a trajectory that underscored how well the Cubs managed to absorb Arizona's late charge and hold on for the one-run victory.