James Russell (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings and gave up two hits while Sean Marshall closed out the ninth for his first save as the Cubs edged the Arizona Diamondsbacks 6-5. Russell allowed two inherited runners to score in the seventh and struck out pinch-hitter Russell Branyan. He then gave up a single to Diamondbacks leadoff batter Willie Bloomquist that scored two and tied the game at 4.After the Cubs went ahead 6-4 in the bottom half, Russell shut down the Diamondbacks in the eighth, coaxing Miguel Montero into a double play and ended the inning by striking out Chris Young.The Cubs also had a solid outing from starter Andrew Cashner, a 2010 reliever making his first career start. Cashner worked 5 1/3 innings before leaving with one out in the sixth with stiffness in his right shoulder.Cashner, who is likely to have an MRI, shut down 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and gave up just one run on two hits — including a third inning lead off homer to Ryan Roberts.Marlon Byrd went 3-for-4 and drove in pinch-hitter Jeff Baker with a one-out double to left off Sam Demel (1-1) for a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh.Diamondbacks reliever Joe Paterson came in and walked Tyler Colvin with the bases loaded to force in another run.The Cubs got key hits from Starlin Castro, who doubled home a run in the second, and Colvin. He broke out of a 1-for-9 slump with a two-run homer in the third.The Diamondbacks, losers of three straight, erased a 4-1 deficit in the top of the seventh as Bloomquist drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single.Diamondbacks starter Barry Enright pitched six innings. He gave up four runs and seven hits, struck out three and walked three.The win, before a crowd of 27,039, was the Cubs’ seventh straight over Arizona dating back to last April 30.

NOTES—It’s not quite a Wrigley Field version of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “The Birds,” but the flock of seagulls swooping through the park on Monday definitely had manager Mike Quade concerned. “What triggers it?,” he said prior to Tuesday’s game. “They were here in the third inning yesterday. And then you think, ‘OK, it’s all the food laying around.’ Maybe if I get my [Rottweiler] here, maybe we can clean it up a little.” ….Colvin started at first base and batted fifth in place of Carlos Pena, who is day to day with a sprained right thumb….Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood had the day off after making three straight appearances…..Following Wednesday’s series finale, the Diamondbacks return to Phoenix for Friday’s home season opener against the Reds at Chase Field.