CHICAGO -- Jeff Samardzija mixed a strong start with an impressive performance at the plate. Samardzija hit a two-run home run and pitched eight sharp innings for his first win since opening day and the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Wednesday night. David DeJesus led off the first inning with a home run and Anthony Rizzo had two hits for the Cubs, who won back-to-back series for the first time this season. Reid Brignac hit a pinch-hit homer for the Rockies, who finished a 2-4 road trip. Samardzija (2-5) allowed two runs and five hits. He struck out seven and walked two, but the highlight came on his two-run homer in the second inning. "I need to slow down around the bases and enjoy it a little bit. It doesnt happen too often. We work a lot in hitting. (Pitching coach Chris) Bosio has us hitting out there every day in the cages. Its an important at-bat," Samardzija said. "You just cant accept the out as a pitcher. Its the same out as every other. You roll the lineup over and get the top coming up and it changes the game." Colorado starter Jon Garland (3-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one. "I dont want to come out of these games, its not my choice. Id like to keep going and see if I can continue to give the team a chance. It almost seems like Im hurting the team more than Im helping the team only going five," Garland said. DeJesus snapped Garlands 18 1-3 scoreless inning streak against the Cubs with a leadoff home run into the left-field bleachers in the first inning. It was DeJesus second leadoff homer of the season and 14th of his career. Samardzija gave up the lead in the second inning on Josh Rutledges RBI single. After a two-out double by Darwin Barney, Samardzija got the lead back on a two-run shot to left to make it 3-1. It was Samardzijas first of the season and second of his career. Yorvit Torrealba grounded into a double play to end the second inning which set off a string of 10 consecutive batters retired by Samardzija. "He just used his whole repertoire tonight. He knew what he was doing tonight, he was pitching, he just wasnt out there throwing. He was mixing it up, keeping them a little off-balanced, broke a lot of bats again tonight," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. Samardzija bounced back from his worst outing of the season. He allowed a season-high eight hits and seven runs -- five earned -- in five innings of a 7-3 loss at Washington. "Call me crazy, but I thought I did some good things in Washington. I thought I got back on track with my fastball. I just didnt pitch in enough against Washington, but overall when I looked back at the film I was happy with the way I threw. The outcome wasnt what you wanted but I knew I just had to carry that into tonight," Samardzija said. In the sixth inning, Brignac led off with a pinch-hit home run to centre. It was his first career pinch-hit homer and cut the Cubs lead to 3-2. Samardzija got help from his defence in the seventh inning. With two outs, Rutledge lined a double off the wall in left field, Alfonso Soriano made a good relay throw to shortstop Starlin Castro, who was able to throw out Rutledge attempting a double. The Rockies have not won back-to-back games since a season-high eight-game winning streak April 12-20. They have not won a three-game series at Wrigley Field since Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2006. "We gotta put together some consistent performances. But overall, weve played fairly well on the road," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. In Samardzijas seven other starts, he endured a shaky bullpen and lack of timely hitting from his offence before getting his first win since April 1. The Cubs added to the lead in the seventh. After a sacrifice bunt by Samardzija, Castro and Rizzo hit back-to-back RBI singles. Castros hit came on a hit-and-run and Rizzo hit a hard grounder between the legs of Todd Helton at first base. Castro came around to score on Sorianos fielders choice to make it 6-2. In the ninth inning, Cubs closer Kevin Gregg gave up a two-out RBI single to Rutledge in a non-save situation. It was the first run he allowed in 11 appearances. He finished the game by getting Wilin Rosario to fly out to centre with runners on first and third. NOTES: Samardzijas other home run came on Sept. 23, 2009 at Milwaukee. ... RHP Jhoulys Chacin is Colorados scheduled starter against San Francisco on Thursday. He is on a three-game losing streak against the Giants. ... The wave got going in the bottom of the seventh inning, an oddity at Wrigley Field. ... Rizzo has not struck out in his past 32 plate appearances, dating back to May 7th against the Cardinals. cheapjerseysforsale.net . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. www.cheapjerseys forsale .net . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. http://www.cheapjerseysforsale.net/ . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. www.cheapjerseysforsale.net . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. http://www.cheapjerseysforsale.net/ . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. PARIS -- With an unassuming group of players lighting up the European Championship, Icelands dazzling advance has been infectious.Even France, which has a recent history of rebellion, is talking up the importance of team unity as the two-time European champions prepare to face Iceland in Sundays quarterfinal.If someone wants to act like a star, well put them back in their place, France defender Patrice Evra said. The team is the star.France may be host of Euro 2016 and one of the favorites to win the tournament, but the limelight has been well and truly seized by the fearless Icelanders, who are unbeaten in four matches and dispatched England to reach the last eight.Not bad for a team from the smallest nation to ever contest the European Championship.Iceland hasnt scrapped through with ultra-defensive football. It has scored the same number of goals as France -- six -- and stands potentially 180 minutes from the final.A lot of people have underestimated the smaller nations, Evra said.No longer, although France hasnt lost to Iceland in 11 previous meetings.Icelands ascent in international football can be traced through its past fixtures with France.Now ranked 34 in the world by FIFA, Iceland was as low as 131st when it last faced France in a friendly four years ago. Even then there were flickers of optimism for the Nordic nation of 330,000. Iceland led 2-0 before France came from behind to win 3-2.It was the same final score when Iceland was last at the Stade de France in 1999 for a European Championship qualifier against the then world champion.However vast the rankings gulf has been, Iceland has been no pushover..ddddddddddddMaybe we have players with less individual quality, if you compare our players with the French team, which has players in almost every position playing in the Champions League day in day out, Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said.Theres not many in the Iceland team that has played Champions League. In individual quality you can see that they are superior. So we have to be collective and work together to make up for it.The pressure and expectation is all on France -- and particularly striker Olivier Giroud, who hasnt found the net since the opening game against Romania when the host won 2-1.Because he hasnt scored for two games some people might criticize him and say, `(Antoine) Griezmanns scoring all the goals, Evra said.Evra highlighted how Girouds header set up Griezmann for his second -- and match-winning -- goal against Ireland in the round of 16.We need Olivier and we believe in him, Evra said.France will have to cope without the suspended duo of center back Adil Rami and midfielder NGolo Kante on Sunday. Yohan Cabaye is expected to take Kantes place as was the case when Didier Deschamps rested the Leicester player for the final group game against Switzerland.Samuel Umtiti has been tipped to fill in for Rami and make his France debut on the biggest of stages. Set for a post-Euro 2016 move to Barcelona, Umtiti only made the France squad after two teammates pulled out injured.---Jerome Pugmire in Paris and Ciaran Fahey in Annecy, France contributed to this report. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '