Silva, Byrd help Cubs end 4-game losing streak

[May 13, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Carlos Silva stayed away from major trouble and Marlon Byrd hit an RBI double as the Chicago Cubs stopped a four-game losing streak by beating the Florida Marlins 4-3 Wednesday.

Mike Fontenot, benched when Chicago gave 20-year-old Starlin Castro the shortstop job, added a two-run double to help the Cubs win for only the second time in nine games.

Silva (4-0) went 6 1-3 innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks. The 31-year-old righty, an effective pitcher for Minnesota from 2004-07 but a 5-18 flop in two years with Seattle, allowed base-runners in all but one inning. Ronny Paulino hit a tying, two-run single with two outs in the fourth.

Carlos Marmol worked 1 1-3 innings for his fifth save. He allowed pinch-hitter Brian Barden's RBI single with two outs in the ninth and then Gaby Sanchez's single before striking out All-Star Hanley Ramirez.

Chris Volstad (3-3) allowed four runs in six innings for the Marlins, who are still looking for their first three-game winning streak this season. It was the first time in 11 games that a Florida starter gave up more than three runs.

Kosuke Fukudome drew a one-out walk in the Cubs' fifth, Castro singled and Byrd hit a go-ahead double down the left-field line. Castro then scored on a wild pitch.

Byrd, in his first season with the Cubs, leads the team with 24 RBIs and is batting .400 in his last 22 games after a slow start.

Silva departed with two on and one out in the seventh. Sean Marshall got pinch hitter Wes Helms to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Fontenot put the Cubs ahead with his hit in the second.

NOTES: Castro had two singles, improving his average to .364 in six games since getting called up last week from Double-A. He also made a nice, leaping catch on Ramirez's soft liner in the first. ... 2B Fontenot made an error in his first start since Ryan Theriot was moved from SS to 2B to accommodate Castro. With Theriot getting Wednesday off, Castro batted second after hitting eighth in his first five games. ... Announced temperature at first pitch was 45 degrees and thick fog hovered over the ballpark. ... After hitting .123 in his first 13 games, Marlins LF Chris Coghlan is batting .309 in his last 16. Still, manager Fredi Gonzalez used Helms to pinch-hit for Coghlan against LHP Marshall. ... Florida CF Cameron Maybin was given the day off after hurting his left wrist when he crashed into the brick wall Tuesday.

[Associated Press]

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