Jeff Samardzija overcame a shaky start to his outing and his Chicago Cubs teammates tagged the Colorado Rockies for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the first game of the weekend series, 5-3, on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Samardzija gave up solo blasts to Colorado third baseman Chris Nelson and left fielder Carlos Gonzalez in the second and third innings, following the Rockies' first run of the game coming home on a wild pitch in the first.
The Cubs responded with a pair of homers of their own in the fifth inning after left fielder Alfonso Soriano and catcher Welington Castillo went deep off of Colorado starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz. It was Soriano's 23rd long ball of the season.
Center fielder Brett Jackson hit his second homer of the season in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game, before outfielder Joe Mather knocked home the go-ahead run on a single to right center.
The Cubs would add another insurance run in the frame after first baseman Anthony Rizzo scored on a throwing error by Rockies reliever Matt Reynolds.
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