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Castro stars as Cubs stop streaking Rox

Apr 17, 2011 - 5:58 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Starlin Castro continued his torrid start to the season, going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI to help the Chicago Cubs defeat the streaking Colorado Rockies, 8-3.

Colorado had won seven in a row coming in, including a 5-0 decision in the opener of this three-game set on Friday behind Jhoulys Chacin's gem.

The Cubs responded with 17 hits on Saturday, including three from Alfonso Soriano, who homered and drove in a pair to hand the Rockies their first nine- inning loss this season.

Casey Coleman (1-0) allowed one run on four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings to get credit for the win, while Jason Hammel (1-1) was saddled with the loss after yielding three runs on seven hits in his six-inning start.

Soriano got the scoring started when he laced a double into the left-field gap to score Carlos Pena in the second inning.

Troy Tulowitzki tripled off the glove of Kosuke Fukudome in right leading off the bottom half and raced home on Seth Smith's sacrifice fly.

Coleman gave Chicago the lead for good in the fifth, as he singled, moved to third on Castro's double and came home on a Darwin Barney groundout to first.

Soriano got enough of a Hammel offering to send it over the wall in right- center for a solo shot in the sixth.

"I have a feeling [Soriano] was sitting on it, because you don't hit a changeup that far if you don't know its coming," Hammel said.

The Cubs knocked around the Rockies' bullpen for five more runs in the seventh.

Felipe Paulino started the inning and gave up back-to-back singles prior to Castro golfing one into the left-field bleachers for his first home run of the season.

Aramis Ramirez and Fukudome added run-scoring singles later in the frame for an 8-1 lead.

Chris Iannetta cut into the deficit with a two-run homer in the eighth off John Grabow, but that was as close as Colorado got.

"This was a good win. We put ourselves in position to win another series," Cubs Manager Mike Quade said.

Game Notes

Colorado's previous two losses this season came in 11 innings, 7-6, to Arizona in the season opener and in 14 innings, 4-3, to Pittsburgh on April 8... Castro, the youngest player in the majors, is hitting .397 on the young season...The Cubs had lost six straight at Coors Field...Marlon Byrd (0-for-5) was the only Cubs starter held without a hit...The Rockies went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13.