Chicago Cubs strike in extra-innings to win in Minnesota

1. 2. 4. 9. Final

Castro plates two in the 10th

Jon Lester held the Minnesota Twins to just one earned run on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts as the Chicago Cubs would go on to win 4-1 in extra innings.

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Twins’ catcher Kurt Suzuki jumped all over Lester in the second inning, connecting on his third home run of the season. It was a solo shot that gave Minnesota the 1-0 early on.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo – who had a pair of home run’s in last night’s 7-2 loss – tied things up at one apiece with an RBI double to left field, driving in Addison Russell. Outfielder Dexter Fowler advanced to third base, giving the Cubs the opportunity to take the lead with third baseman Kris Bryant due up next.

Bryant would strike out swinging on three pitches with Trevor May on the mound, retiring the side. May (4-5, 4.03 ERA) held this young lineup to one earned run on seven hits while issuing two walks and striking out seven through six innings of work in the no-decision.

Lester (4-5, 3.80 ERA) lasted 6 1/3 frames before handing things over to Justin Grimm after getting Torii Hunter to ground out to Bryant at third. Grimm gave up a one-out single to Suzuki who homered earlier in the game but managed to retire the side by striking out Kennys Vargas and getting Eduardo Escobar to ground out on the first pitch of the at-bat.

Both bullpen’s refused to give up a run during the final innings of the game which resulted in extra innings in Minnesota. Of course, the man who would come through for the visiting team would be no other than shortstop Starlin Castro.

Castro was credited with an error during the first inning of yesterday’s loss that allowed an additional run to score, making it 2-0 in favor of the Twins. Today, Starlin redeemed himself with a bases-loaded knock, recording yet another extra innings hit that resulted in a Cubs win.

Fowler reached safely to lead off the inning on a rare fielding error by second baseman Brian Dozier and Rizzo followed that up with a single to Byron Buxton. After Bryant flied out to Buxton for the first out of the inning, reliever Blaine Boyer intentionally walked lefty Chris Coghlan to load up the bases full of Cubs.

Castro drove in Fowler on an RBI single on the first pitch of the at-bat, giving the Cubs a 3-1 lead. Chris Denorfia added a bit of insurance on a pop-up single to Dozier, allowing Coghlan to cross home plate.

These two teams find themselves in a rubber-match on Father’s Day as Jake Arrieta (6-5, 3.40 ERA) squares off against Kyle Gibson (4-5, 3.33 ERA) at 1:10 p.m. central time.

Next: Where Do You Go, Castro?

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