Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro homered to support six solid innings from Tom Gorzelanny, as Chicago turned away St. Louis, 6-5, in the middle meeting of a three-game set.
Castro finished with three hits, two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Colvin scored twice and walked for Chicago, which has won the first two games over their rivals.
Gorzelanny (6-5) earned the win after allowing three runs on seven hits while walking three and fanning three for Chicago, which has claimed a series over a division foe for the first time in 11 tries. Carlos Marmol set down the Redbirds in the ninth to record his 18th save.
Blake Hawksworth (4-6) suffered the loss after allowing six runs — five earned — on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings while walking three and fanning four for the Cardinals, who have dropped three straight.
Gorzelanny worked out of trouble in the first when Matt Holliday grounded into a double play after Jon Jay had doubled with one out and Albert Pujols walked.
Colvin then led off the bottom of the frame with his 15th home run of the season. He also started Friday’s game with a first-inning homer.
The Cardinals quickly moved in front in the second. Ryan Ludwick, just activated off the disabled list before the game, led off with a walk and raced to third on a one-out double by Brendan Ryan. After Hawksworth struck out, Tyler Greene lined a single into right field to score both runners.
Castro’s two-run blast in the third put Chicago back ahead. Colvin drew a walk with one out and Castro hit the first pitch he saw into the left field seats for his third home run of the season. Derrek Lee followed with a single and scored from first on a two-out double to the right field wall by Marlon Byrd for a 4-2 edge.
St. Louis trimmed the lead back to one in the fifth on a John Jay sacrifice fly that plated Greene.
Castro and Aramis Ramirez singled to chase Hawksworth with one out in fifth. Mitchell Boggs took over and walked Byrd to load the bases.
The right-hander then uncorked a pitch that got past Yadier Molina, who slid to get to the ball and threw wildly past Boggs covering at the plate as Castro slid in safely. The errant toss also allowed Ramirez to score to make it 6-3.
Singles by Holliday and Ryan and a two-out walk to pinch-hitter Felipe Lopez loaded the bases for St. Louis in the sixth for Greene, who popped out to shallow right field to end the inning.
James Russell followed Gorzelanny to the hill and yielded singles to Aaron Miles and Jay to begin the seventh and was removed in favor of Andrew Cashner.
The first batter he faced was Albert Pujols, who flied out to the wall in right-center to chase home Miles and make it a 6-4 game. Cashner worked out of further trouble when Jay was thrown out trying to steal second base.
Ludwick and Molina opened the eighth with consecutive singles before second baseman Ryan Theriot misplayed a potential double play grounder that permitted Ludwick to score to slice the deficit to one. St. Louis could not push the tying run across after pinch-hitter Randy Winn flied out and Greene grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Marmol walked Pujols with two outs in the ninth before Holliday popped up to end the game.
Gorzelanny has allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his 14 starts this season. The Cubs have hit two homers or more in 11 of their last 17 games…Chicago is 13-21 in one-run games…Lee extended his hitting streak to seven games, while Holliday pushed his to 10 games…New Chicago Bulls shooting guard Kyle Korver threw out the ceremonial first pitch and led the singing of the seventh inning stretch…Saturday was the first time in six starts that Hawksworth failed to go at least five frames…The Cubs lead the season series, 3-2.