Look who's back! Silva gets 10th win as Cubs top Astros, 5-2
The Cubs saw a couple of things Monday night they hadn't seen in awhile during their 5-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Starting pitcher Carlos Silva finally got out of the second inning after a pair of starts in which he lasted just 11/3 and 1.
And second baseman Ryan Theriot hit his first home run in 700 at-bats as the Cubs won a tooth-puller, which saw the teams combine to leave 20 on base with Cubs hitters going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
The Theriot homer was all well and good, but the Cubs needed Silva to rebound from 2 horrendous starts. By doing so, he became the first Cubs pitcher to reach double digits in victories as he improved to 10-4 with a 3.76 ERA.
Silva worked 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 run. The Astros got that run in the first inning as leadoff man Michael Bourn doubled and came home one out later on a single by Lance Berkman. Silva's only 1-2-3 inning was the fourth, as he worked out of trouble all night.
The Cubs (46-54) took it to Astros lefty Wesley Wright, scoring 2 runs in each of the second and third innings. Geovany Soto doubled home 2 in the second. Soto would later leave with a bruised left foot, thanks to the effects of a foul ball.
The Cubs got an RBI forceout and a run-scoring double from Alfonso Soriano in the third. Theriot added his homer with one out in the sixth. It was his first since June 29, 2009, off Pittsburgh's Zach Duke.
"It's been awhile," Theriot told the Comcast SportsNet postgame show. "Trust me, I know how long. I get it in the clubhouse every day."
Reliever Justin Berg gave up a run in the seventh before getting help from Andrew Cashner, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol, who notched his 19th save.
Prospect hurt: Third-base prospect Josh Vitters, the Cubs' No. 1 pick in 2007, may be finished for the season. Vitters broke his left middle finger when hit by a pitch Sunday playing for Class AA Tennessee.
Vitters was put on the disabled list with what the Cubs described as a fractured third metacarpal. The 20-year-old Vitters will be evaluated by doctors in Chicago. He began the year at Class A Daytona before being moved in May to Tennessee, where he is batting .223 with 7 homers.
Ailing reliever: Andrew Cashner left Wrigley Field during Sunday night's game with a bad sore throat. He did not travel on the team charter to Houston. He flew commercial so as not to infect any teammates.
"He was probably on your flights," manager Lou Piniella joked to Chicago reporters.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p>
<p class="News"><b>Hi-ho Silva:</b> The Cubs had a string of 4 straight quality starts snapped, as Carlos Silva worked 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 run. He threw 90 pitches, 55 for strikes. The Cubs are 11-26 when they don't get a quality start. </p>
<p class="News"><b>Strikeout machine:</b> Carlos Marmol earned his 19th save by striking out two in the ninth inning. He has 91 strikeouts in 481/3 innings for a rate of 16.94 strikeouts per 9 innings. Marmol leads all relievers in strikeouts. </p>
<p class="News"><b>Marshall plan:</b> Lefty setup man Sean Marshall has held opponents scoreless in 11 consecutive outings and in 18 of 19 dating to June 24. He struck out two in the eighth inning. </p>
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<h2>Stories</h2>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=396598">Zambrano apologizes to teammates ... on ESPN <span class="date">[7/26/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=396620">Cubs' Soto leaves with foot injury<span class="date">[7/26/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=396511">Ramirez named National League Player of the Week <span class="date">[7/26/10]</span></a></li>
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