Starlin Castro leads Cubs to 5-4 win over Mets

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Things didn’t start off well for the Chicago Cubs (22-34), but it’s how you finish that matters. Edwin Jackson (4-5, 4.59) was able complete five innings while exceeding the 100 pitch mark to earn the victory in a game that took three hours and forty minutes.

Starlin Castro went 3-for-4 with three runs knocked in, helping to overcome a critical first inning error.

The New York Mets (28-30) continued their patient philosophy at the plate, and took advantage of the Cubs’ miscues when they had the chance. But the heavily worked bullpen couldn’t hold on to the lead, as the Cubs came back to win 5-4.

The Cubs were down early, but continued to grind it out to stay within striking distance.

Castro appeared to get caught in-between on his footwork in the first and misplayed Bobby Abreau’s groundball which allowed Daniel Murphy to score. Lucas Duda would make it hurt by hitting a two-run double putting Jackson down 3-0 without allowing an earned run.

The Cubs were able to cut the gap in the bottom half of the inning, as Castro redeemed himself immediately with an RBI single to score Justin Ruggiano. Nate Schierholtz would follow with an RBI groundout to score Anthony Rizzo and the lead was cut to one, 3-2.

Ruben Tejada would homer for the Mets in the fourth, his second of the season, to put them up 4-2.

The Mets’ Daisuke Matsuzaka had control issues of his own, and wasn’t as sharp as he had been previously, and he failed to finish the fifth inning, going 4 1/3 innings.

He was replaced by Dana Eveland (0-1, 9.00), who gave up consecutive hits to Rizzo, and then Castro which would drive in two to tie it at 4-4.

After a Schierholtz groundout and a walk to Chris Coghlan, Jeurys Familia replaced Eveland.

With Mike Olt at the plate, Familia buried a curve in the dirt that skipped away and allowed Rizzo to score the go-ahead, and eventual winning run.

The Cubs will look for the sweep tomorrow as Travis Wood (5-5, 5.15) takes to the hill against Jacob deGrom (0-2, 2.42).

The game is scheduled for a 6:05 pm CT first pitch on CSN and WGN 720 AM.