Castillo feels refreshed, but rests Thursday

PITTSBURGH -- Cubs backup catcher John Baker joked that Welington Castillo may have to play Thursday. That was OK with Castillo, even though he was behind the plate for 16 innings in a game that began Wednesday night and ended 5 hours 55 minutes later.

"After the game, I did eight minutes in the cold tub and I was fine," Castillo said. "That's why I'm very happy, because my body feels like that after 16 innings. It's not 16 easy innings -- it was tough. We had long innings, we had foul balls, I got hit. My body feels really, really good. I'm really happy about it."

Even though Castillo felt good, Baker got the start on Thursday. The longest game Castillo remembered playing in was 14 innings. He was even happier to pick up his first hit of the season. Extra inning games can be brutal on a player's batting average.

"Every time I had to go to the plate, I saw on the board [that I didn't have a hit] and I said, 'I need to get one,' and I was really happy to get mine," said Castillo, who singled in the 14th inning.

The total workload? The Cubs' nine pitchers Wednesday threw 256 pitches. The only ones who didn't pitch were Monday's starter Jeff Samardzija, Thursday starter Jason Hammel, and Friday starter Travis Wood. Wood did, however, pinch-hit.