DENVER -- A couple of bullpen sessions over the All-Star break helped Jeff Samardzija resolve the mechanical problems in his pitching delivery that had been bothering him much of the season. The refinements were evident Friday night when Samardzija pitched effectively into the eighth inning, and Anthony Rizzo doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh in Chicago Cubs 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. "We changed a couple things with my mechanics, kept me on line a little more," Samardzija said. "But if you had asked me all year how I felt about my mechanics, I would say they were off, to tell you the truth, until today. So, Im really excited to stop making adjustments and really just working on pitch selection and pitch location. As a pitcher, sometimes those things happen. It clicks for you and you go from there." Alfonso Soriano added a home run, his 17th, and Junior Lake, recalled by Chicago from Triple-A Iowa before the game, had three hits in his major league debut, including a double in his first career at-bat. Darwin Barney drove in an insurance run with a ninth-inning double. Samardzija (6-9) kept the Rockies in check by limiting them to one run on four hits in 7 1-3 innings, bouncing back after tying a career high by allowing nine runs in a 13-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on July 10. "Tonight, the guy was nasty and dominated," Michael Cuddyer said. "Youve got to tip your hat every once in a while. He pitched really well." Samardzija was able to paint the corners with his fastball and kept the Rockies off balance with a devastating splitter. "It was so good tonight," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "It was diving out of the strike zone so much you couldnt even get swings at it sometimes." Samardzija walked three and struck out six, including striking out the side in the seventh, when he set down All-Stars Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Cuddyer. "I was working both sides of the plate with my fastball, really established it for a strike, and when you do that, it makes your splitter that much better," he said. "Just being aggressive helped out a lot." Added Cuddyer: "He throws 96 mph with an 83-mph splitter that was on tonight. He didnt walk many guys until the very end." D.J. LeMahieu doubled off Kevin Gregg to start the ninth and advanced to third on a ground out by Gonzalez. Tulowitzki walked before Gregg induced Cuddyer to ground into a game-ending double play for his 18th save in 20 chances. Chicago regained the lead in the seventh, sparked by Cody Ransoms two-out walk off reliever Edgmer Escalona (1-3). Rizzo followed by lining a double down the right field line. He was thrown out trying for third but not before Ransom had crossed the plate with the go-ahead run. Soriano gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead when he homered to start the fourth inning, driving Jorge De La Rosas 0-1 pitch into the stand of evergreens beyond the centre field wall. It was his 389th homer, tying him with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench for 57th on the career list. Dexter Fowler evened the score when he led off the Rockies half of the fourth with a homer, his 11th. He drove Samardzijas first offering beyond the centre field wall in almost the same spot as Sorianos. The Rockies had a chance to go in front after Tulowitzki and Cuddyer hit consecutive two-out singles. With Todd Helton up, a low pitch skipped past Welington Castillo, but the ball bounced off the backstop and the catcher corralled it, making an off-balance throw to Samardzija covering at home just in time to tag out Tulowitzki, who had broken for the plate. De La Rosa went six innings and allowed one run on five hits. Lake, an oufielder-infielder, filled the roster spot of outfielder Brian Bogusevic, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain. Sveum said he was extremely encouraged by Lakes exceptional debut. "Since Ive been here, thats the first kid thats come up and looked like a major leaguer, aggressive, aggressive on the bases," Sveum said. "He did a great job and swung the bat really nice." NOTES: The home run was Sorianos 15th extra-base hit since June 28, tops in the NL in that span. ... Fowlers home run was his first since hitting two against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 2. ... The Rockies opened the second half with a 10-game homestand, while Cubs began a 10-game road trip. ... Rockies right-hander Juan Nicasio (5-4) is set to pitch Saturday nights game against the Cubs. Hell be opposed by RHP Carlos Villanueva (2-5). Malik Beasley Nuggets Jersey . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Allen Iverson Nuggets Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-michael-porter-nuggets-jersey/ . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Alex English Jersey . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Nikola Jokic Jersey . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals manager Ned Yost simply ran out of options in his beleaguered bullpen.Peter Moylan had pitched for the fourth straight day. Matt Strahm had gone consecutive days for the first time in his career. So, he summoned former starter Chris Young to the mound to hold down the Yankees, and he managed to get through one shaky inning before everything unraveled.Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro led off the 13th with hits, and Brian McCann delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly off Strahm, as New York escaped with a 5-4 victory Wednesday night.What other options did I have? Yost said with a touch of chagrin. Unless I could have pulled somebody out of the stands -- `Hey, youve ever pitched before?Ben Heller (1-0) pitched a perfect 12th for New York to earn his first major league win, which Dellin Betances wrapped up by working around a leadoff walk for his seventh save.Everybody was calm under pressure, said Yankees reliever Adam Warren, who contributed to seven shutout innings from the bullpen. It was kind of neat to see Ben get his first win.Castro hit a two-run homer for the Yankees. Kendrys Morales hit one for Kansas City.We went through the trade deadline and I still felt we could win in here and these guys are showing it, said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose club is just 2 1/2 games out of the second AL wild-card spot. Theres a toughness in there and these guys really want it.The Royals appeared to have quickly erased the memories of their rain-delayed, 5-4 loss in 10 innings the previous night when Morales homered for the second straight game with two outs in the first.Kansas City added another run off Luis Cessa in the second on an error by third baseman Chase Headley and a timely double by Alcides Escobar, then made it 4-0 when Eric Hosmer homered to left in the third.Ian Kennedy was cruising along for Kansas City until the sixth, when Gregorius lofted a sacrifice fly to left field. Castro followed moments later with his two-run shot.Kennedys night was done when he walked Aaron Hicks with one out in the sixth. Scott Alexander came in and gave up a single to Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsburys tying sacrifice fly to center.Both teams had chances to push runs across before the 13th inning.ddddddddddddhe Royals Raul Mondesi drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and Jarrod Dyson dropped a sacrifice bunt to get him to second base with only one out. But Mondesi got caught straying between second and third, and Cheslor Cuthbert promptly struck out to end the inning.In the 11th, Salvador Perez walked and pinch-runner Billy Burns stole his way to third. He wound up stranded there when Paulo Orlando ripped a line drive right at Castro at second base.The Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the 12th, but Gary Sanchez lined out to Cuthbert at third base and Mark Teixeira chopped a grounder to shortstop to end that threat.The off day is going to do us good tomorrow, Yost said. Everybody is going to be able to recharge a little bit. Its going to be good for us to just relax a little bit.YANKEES DEALThe Yankees sent OF Ben Gamel, the MVP of the International League, to Seattle for minor league RHPs Jio Orozco and Juan De Paula on Wednesday. They also sent cash to Milwaukee for speedy OF Eric Young Jr., who Girardi said could join the club when rosters expand later this week.ROYALS MOVESRHP Chien-Ming Wang was placed on the DL with biceps tendinitis after tossing two scoreless innings on Tuesday night. The Royals shored up their taxed bullpen by recalling Alexander and RHP Brooks Pounders from Triple-A Omaha and optioning INF Christian Colon to the same club.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: Hicks left the game after grounding out in the ninth, limping his way to the dugout with a right hamstring strain. Im concerned, Girardi said. Its probably not a day-to-day thing.Royals: CF Lorenzo Cain (sprained wrist) got the night off. Hes been playing in pain for about two weeks. Its been pretty sore, Yost said. Its not a thing thats going to heal in a week.UP NEXTThe Yankees take Thursday off before sending RHP Chad Green to the mound to start a three-game set in Baltimore on Friday night. LHP Danny Duffy gets the call for the Royals when Detroit visits Friday night to open their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. ' ' '