Starlin Castro returned to the Cubs lineup Wednesday night after a two-game benching and committed a sloppy error in the first inning.
Randy Wells managed to get out of the inning by stranding a pair of base-runners, getting Castro off the hook. But he gave up a run-scoring single to Humberto Quintero in the second, a solo homer to Hunter Pence in the third and an RBI single to Chris Johnson in the fifth, putting the Cubs in a 3-0 hole.
The Astros wound up with a 4-0 win to take the series, two games to one, leaving Mike Quade with a 9-6 record.
Wells was seeking his seventh win of the season, facing Houston's Brett Myers in the finale of the 9-game homestand. But he was removed after six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits. Myers held the Cubs hitless through the first 4 2/3 innings, retiring the first 14 men he faced, and tossed seven shutout innings.
The ballpark was half empty again, on a cool night with school back in session.
@Jim = Cubs complainers, please give it a rest! We know the Cubs suck because we can read the standings. But you complain so much that you even have to complain about good things from 2010, like Starlin Castro! Yes he has 23 errors, but he has way better range and a much better arm than Theriot did. So he does improve the defense as in he will make plays that Theriot would not have made. Keep in mind too that he's only 20 years old, short is the toughest position to play, and the game moves a lot quicker in the majors than it does at AA. He's learning as he goes and he's only going to get better. So stop complaining about every little thing from every Cubs loss. We know they suck, so get over it!
@Dragon = Two possibilities. Either you are trying to make fun of the Sox fans who post all the time on the Cubs boards. In that case, we get it, your point is made, and no need to make Sox fans look bad as they do a pretty good job of making themselves look bad. Or, you are actually a Sox fan, in which case you are making Sox fans everywhere look bad. You do know that your Sox are now 5.5 back of the Twins and Manny doesn't have an RBI yet? Probably not I'm guessing. Hey, can you still get a refund on that Manny jersey, the Manny wig, and the Mannywood t-shirt you bought? Hope you saved your receipt!
haha cubs suck
Sir Dragon of Mannywood
Stick with the WHITE SOX
MANNY FOR MVP
Is 23 errors for a shortstop bad? I'm just wondering because Starlin was originally brought in to "make us better defensively." - Jim Hendry
23 errors does not seem like it is indicative of good defense. Thus I conclude that Jim Hendry is a phony. Should be a great 2011 in loserville (wrigleyville).