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Cubs beat up on Cardinals

May 12, 2011 - 6:11 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Starlin Castro had four hits, drove in three runs and scored three times, and the Chicago Cubs used a big third inning following a rain delay to rout the Cardinals, 11-4, in the middle contest of a three-game series.

Cubs offseason trade acquisition Matt Garza (2-4) fanned seven batters over five innings to get the win. The right-hander gave up three hits and a run, and walked three batters.

"I was glad we could get five out of him," Cubs manager Mike Quade said of Garza, who pitched following a lengthy rain delay.

Carlos Pena, Alfonso Soriano and Koyie Hill each drove in two runs as part of the 17-hit attack. The Cubs, who scored six times in the third, snapped a two- game skid.

Albert Pujols singled in a pair for St. Louis, which had won four of five.

Jake Westbrook (2-3) was tagged for six hits and five runs in 2 1/3 innings to suffer the loss.

"[Westbrook] didn't have it after the break," Cardinals interim manager Joe Pettini said. "He had a tough outing."

Ryan Theriot's infield single scored Nick Punto in the top of the third, but the Cubs sent 10 men to the plate after a 53-minute rain delay in the bottom half at Wrigley Field.

Aramis Ramirez singled with the bases loaded to tie the game and Pena followed with a two-run double to left. Jason Motte entered from the bullpen, but Castro greeted him with a two-run base hit to center. Castro advanced to third on Colby Rasmus' fielding error and then came home on Soriano's single.

Chicago added four more in the fifth, on RBI triples from Castro and Hill, a run-scoring base hit from Soriano and an RBI groundout from pinch-hitter Tyler Colvin.

Run-scoring hits from Rasmus and Pujols got the Cardinals within 10-4 in the seventh, but Hill doubled in Castro in the bottom of the inning.

Game Notes

The Cubs committed one error, but they have just two over their last 13 games...Chicago reliever Sean Marshall has a 0.60 ERA in his first 16 relief appearances to begin the season...Jeff Samardzija was charged with four hits and three runs over 1 2/3 innings for the Cubs. Before Wednesday he had thrown a season-high 14 consecutive scoreless innings...Garza got his first career win (1-4) against the NL Central.