CHICAGO -- The Cubs weren’t masking how they wanted to approach Marlins second baseman Starlin Castro on Wednesday. Kyle Hendricks went right after the 29-year-old with a steady dose of sinkers, as did Steve Cishek in the ninth inning.
Castro was ready for them, and he went 3-for-4 with an RBI on the night, with each hit off a sinker, including one that set up the tying run in the ninth inning.
But in the 11th inning, Jason Heyward belted an opposite-field home run off José Quijada, who was called up earlier in the afternoon from Triple-A New Orleans, to lift the Cubs to a 3-2 win over the Marlins at Wrigley Field.
After winning the series opener on Monday night, the Marlins dropped consecutive close games, but they still have a chance for a four-game split on Thursday afternoon.
“I think we're playing really good,” said Castro, noting all three games were decided in the final inning. “The bullpen has been pitching good. The starters are keeping the games close. That's really important. That's when we will start to turn the page, when the starters keep the game within one run, or the relievers keep the game close. That gives us more chances to score more runs. That didn't happen today. We played 11 innings, but I think we tried pretty hard. We played against a really good team, and they're really good at home, especially in a tie game.”
Castro had his first three-hit game since April 2 against the Mets, when he went 3-for-5 with a home run.
“I’m starting to feel better,” Castro said. “I had been hitting balls right at people. I think the team is going to start turning it around. I'm feeling really good at the plate, and I'll keep continuing with what I'm doing, and try to help the team win.”
For a sluggish offense, the Marlins need Castro to be productive, and he is showing signs of snapping out of a prolonged slump. He had an 0-for-29 slide snapped with an infield single on Tuesday night.
“A lot of times, that's what gets you going,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He swung the bat good tonight all night. When he wasn't driving in a run, he was setting up a run.”
On Wednesday, Castro responded with three singles against his former team.
In the first inning, Castro had an RBI single off Hendricks, with the hit coming off an 87.3 mph sinker. In the fourth inning, Castro singled again off a sinker, setting up a crucial nine-pitch staredown in the sixth inning.
With one out, Neil Walker doubled, and he advanced to third on Jorge Alfaro’s groundout to second.
This time, Castro dug in against Hendricks, who started the at-bat off with a changeup, which was fouled off. Hendricks ended up throwing seven straight sinkers, with three in a row fouled off with the count full. But the ninth pitch was an 80.2 mph changeup that Castro swung through for the strikeout.
“That was a good one,” Hendricks said. “I think I set it up well after three heaters, 3-2. He was kind of getting closer to it.”
Castro credited Hendricks for executing the changeup, a pitch he had seen just one time before in three at-bats.
“It's a good at-bat,” Castro said. “I always give credit to him. He's not a guy who is going to throw 95. He's pounding the corners. He did a great job. Right there, he threw me a nasty changeup. That's the second one I'd seen in three at-bats. I give him credit.”
The Marlins entered the ninth inning down a run, and Walker led off with a single. Isaac Galloway pinch-ran and went to second on Castro’s single. Miami pulled even at 2 on Miguel Rojas’ RBI groundout.
In the 10th inning, the Marlins botched a bunt play, when Jon Berti popped it up with Rosell Herrera on first. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo acted like he would catch it, but let it drop, and it turned into a double play.
“My job is to get the bunt down, and I didn't do it,” Berti said. “That's first and foremost. My initial reaction when the ball was up in the air was to hesitate, and Rizzo saw that and made the double play. No excuse. I need to get the bunt down, and I need to get to first.”