Let's Play 2 - Game Recap

Game One Hundred Sixty-Two - Cubs 2 Padres 9
WP - Wade LeBlanc (5-6) LP - Ryan Dempster (10-14) Save - None

It's all over ... the Chicago Cubs lost to the San Diego Padres to close out the Twenty-Eleven season, the fifth season in a row the Cubs lost their final game.

The Cubs played a very sloppy game and in his quest for 200 innings, Ryan Dempster put together his worst start of the year. Ryan Dempster allowed a season-worst nine runs on eight hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Dempster threw 119 pitches, 74 for strikes.

Ryan Dempster served up two home runs that accounted for seven of the Padres runs and ended his season pretty close to the way it began. Dempster served up a grand slam to Neil Walker on Opening Day and Will Venable hit a slam on Wednesday night ... on Dempster's last pitch of the season.

Ryan Dempster was in cruise control through the first eight batters before losing his command. What plagued Dempster all season bit him hard in his final start ... walks and home runs. Both of the Padres' four-run innings started with two out and the bases empty ... and were capped with home runs.

Ryan Dempster reached his goal of 200 innings (202 1/3 IP for the year) but for the fourth straight season since returning to the rotation he showed a steady decline. Dempster finished the season tied with Matt Garza for the most wins on the team (10).

The Cubs defense was charged with two more errors in game 162 and a misplayed ball by Aramis Ramirez led to the Padres' first run of the game.

The Cubs offense was pretty much non-existent in the final game of the season. Q's offense managed only six hits with two walks and finished the night 1-for-7 with RISP and left five on base.

Starlin Castro extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 1-for-3 night at the plate. Castro doubled in the eighth and drove in one of the Cubs' two runs with a sac fly in the fifth. Castro reached base safely in the last 40 games of his first full season at the big league level.

Starlin Castro became the youngest player in the history of the game to lead the National League in hits. Castro collected 207 this year, good for tenth on the Cubs all-time list.

Steve Clevenger was 1-for-1 with a double, a run scored and was hit by a pitch on Wednesday night Clevenger doubled to start the fifth ... his first big league hit.

Aramis Ramirez was 1-for-3 in what was likely his final game in a Cubs' uniform. D.J. LeMahieu replaced Ramirez at third to start the bottom of the sixth. Ramirez finished the season with a .306 average and a .842 OPS with 26 home runs and 93 RBI.

With Wednesday's loss, the Cubs finished the Twenty-Eleven season with a 71-91 record, 20 games under .500 ...

Game One Hundred Sixty-One - Cubs 6 Padres 2
WP - Matt Garza (10-10) LP - Chad Qualls (6-8, BS 5) Save - None

Mike Quade's veteran lineup powered Matt Garza to his tenth victory in his final start of the season. Four of the Cubs six runs scored on a pair of homers ... a solo shot by Aramis Ramirez in fourth and a three-run bomb by Alfonso Soriano in the eighth. The Cubs had managed only one run over the first 16 innings of the series but that all changed in the eighth inning ... and it was a pair of walks that set it up for Soriano to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 advantage.

With the Cubs down by a 2-1 score, Aramis Ramirez (1-for-3 with a home run and a walk) led off the eighth with a free pass. Tony Campana ran for Ramirez, stole second and advanced to third when Carlos Pena flied out to center. Bryan LaHair (0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored) put together an impressive at bat that resulted in a walk on the ninth pitch from Chad Qualls.

Alfonso Soriano (2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and three RBI) blasted a 0-1 pitch over the wall just to the right of straight away center to give the Cubs the lead. Soriano and Ramirez both hit their 26th homers of the season on Tuesday ... two behind team leader Carlos Pena (28). Ramirez has driven in 93 runs and Soriano has 88 RBI this season.

Blake DeWitt added a bases loaded, two-run, pinch-hit single in the ninth that drove in the Cubs other two runs.

Starlin Castro tallied two more hits (206) on Tuesday night with a 2-for-5 performance. With one game left to play, Castro reached base for the 39th game in a row and extended his current hitting streak to 10 games ... the fifth time Castro has recorded a double-digit hit streak this season.

The Cubs pounded out 11 hits on Tuesday night and walked seven times, four times in the last two innings ... and three of the four walks in the eighth and ninth came around to score.

Matt Garza finished his season on a very positive note. Other than laboring through the second inning, Garza was very good on Tuesday night. Garza pitched seven innings and came within two innings of 200 in his first season with the Cubs. Garza allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts (197 for the season). Three of the Padres five hits came in a cluster in the second inning that led to the Padres' two runs.

Matt Garza finished the year with a 10-10 record and won his last four decisions. Garza threw 122 pitches, 79 for strikes ... the third straight outing Matt Garza tossed 120-plus pitches.

Sean Marshall bailed out Jeff Samardzija in the eighth. Marshall struck out both of the batters he faced with the tying runs in scoring position.

Carlos Marmol struggled in the ninth again. Marmol walked a pair and could not find the strike zone. Marmol struck out two and did not allow any runs but threw 31 pitches, 17 for strikes. Marmol has walked 48 batters this season and given up 54 hits ... 102 baserunners in 55 innings.

With Tuesday's win, the Cubs improved to 71-90, 19 games under with one left to play ...

Game One Hundred Sixty - Cubs 0 Padres 2
WP - Mat Latos (9-14) LP - Casey Coleman (3-9) Save - Heath Bell (43)

Mike Quade ran out a lineup full of the youngest players on his roster, along with Carlos Pena, and the Cubs were shutout on just two hits on Monday night. Mat Latos dominated the 'Cubs Kids' and took a no hitter into the sixth. Casey Coleman broke up Latos' no hit bid with a one-out triple ... the first triple for a Cubs pitcher since Ted Lilly back on June 9, 2009 in Houston. The Cubs only other hit came in the seventh. Starlin Castro (1-for-4, stolen base) led off with a single and reached base for the 38th straight game.

The Cubs managed only three baserunners in nine innings ... two hits and the 100th walk of the season by Carlos Pena (0-for-2 with a walk). Padres pitching struck out 11 batters on Monday night.

Mat Latos kept the young Cubs off balance all night. Latos tied a season-high with nine strikeouts. Latos struck out five of the first ten batters he faced and came within one strikeout of his career-high (set three times, once against the Cubs).

Casey Coleman finished his season with a loss but put together another solid outing. Coleman matched Latos pitch for pitch until the sixth. Coleman was not the same after he tripled in the top of the inning. Will Venable hit a solo homer to start the inning and the Padres scored their second run on doubles by Jesus Guzman and Cameron Maybin.

Casey Coleman allowed two runs on five hits (one home run) with two walks and seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Coleman threw 99 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Rafael Dolis made his big league debut and faced the minimum in 1 1/3 innings of work. Dolis struck out one, walked one but did not give up a hit (20 pitches, nine for strikes). John Gaub threw the ball well and surrendered a hit but no runs in his 2/3 of an inning. Ramon Ortiz recorded the final out of the eighth inning.

The Cubs lost for the 90th time in 2011 and dropped back to 20 games under .500 with a 70-90 record ...

Game One Hundred Fifty-Nine - Cubs 2 Cardinals 3
WP - Octavio Dotel (5-3) LP - Randy Wells (7-6) Save - Jason Motte (9)

Randy Wells rebounded nicely from his last two starts and put together a quality start on Sunday afternoon. Wells pitched his second complete game of the season and became the second starter on Quade's staff to take a loss with a complete game effort. The Cubs defense turned two double plays in the first two innings that bailed Wells out of early trouble.

Randy Wells made only two mistakes on Sunday and both left the park. Yadier Molina tied the game in the seventh with a solo homer and Rafael Furcal hit the game winner against Wells leading off the bottom of the eighth.

As has been the case all season, the gopher ball was Wells' undoing on Sunday. Wells surrendered just six hits but two left the yard. In 23 starts this season (135 1/3 innings), Randy Wells served up 23 home runs.

In his final start of the year, Randy Wells allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts in eight innings.

The Cubs managed only five hits and three walks in the season finale against the Cardinals but still had plenty of opportunities again in a one-run loss. Quade's offense finished the game a miserable 1-for-6 with RISP and left seven on base.

Starlin Castro (1-for-4 with a RBI) reached base for the 37th game in a row. Castro singled in Marlon Byrd (1-for-3 with a double and a run scored) in the seventh (65 RBI on the season). Geovany Soto (0-for-3 with a RBI) drove in the Cubs first run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

With Sunday's loss (7-18 on Sundays in 2011), the Cubs finished with a 5-10 record against the Cardinals in 2011 and dropped back to 19 games under .500 with a 70-89 record ...

Game One Hundred Fifty-Eight - Cubs 1 Cardinals 2
WP - Jason Motte (5-2) LP - Carlos Marmol (2-6, BS 10) Save - None

On the final Saturday of the season, the Cubs took a 1-0 lead into the ninth. Cubs pitching had held the Cardinals in check for the second day in a row and allowed one run over the first 17 innings of the series ... and that was scored on a squeeze bunt off the bat of Chris Carpenter.

Carlos Marmol retired Lance Berkman to start the ninth. Matt Holliday followed with a single to right center and if not for a tremendous sliding stop by Marlon Byrd, Holliday would have ended up at second with the tying run.

A throwing error by Geovany Soto allowed pinch runner, Tyler Greene to advance all the way to third with one out. Marmol struck out David Freese for the second out ... then lost his command.

Carlos Marmol issued three straight walks to force in the tying run. Marmol walked Yadier Molina and Skip Schumaker to load the bases. The free-swinging Ryan Theriot hit for Corey Patterson and looked at a 3-2 pitch that resulted in a walk and tied the game at one.

Marmol uncorked a wild pitch on the second offering to Rafael Furcal that gave the Cardinals the game. St. Louis scored two runs in the ninth with the only hit coming to start the rally. Marmol threw 30 pitches in 2/3 of an inning ... only 13 in the strike zone.

Carlos Marmol has blown a league-worst 10 saves this season.

Prior to the ninth inning, the Cubs put together a solid effort in a must win game for the Cardinals. Carlos Pena and Marlon Byrd made sensational defensive plays behind Rodrigo Lopez (no runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout in six innings) and actually made up for the struggles Blake DeWitt had in the field on Saturday (six chances for DeWitt on Saturday, three handled cleanly with only one charged error).

The Cubs only run came in the first inning on a RBI single by Alfonso Soriano (1-for-4 with a RBI). Quade's offense managed only six hits, all singles, and was 1-for-3 with RISP and left five on base. Soriano has driven in 27 runs in his last 28 games.

Starlin Castro reached base for the 36th game in a row with a 1-for-4 effort on Saturday afternoon. Darwin Barney (1-for-4 with a run scored) scored the Cubs' lone run. After looking totally overmatched against Chris Carpenter on Friday, Bryan LaHair was 2-for-4 against Kyle Lohse.

With Saturday's loss, the Cubs dropped back to 18 games below .500 with a 70-88 record ... and only four left to play.

Game One Hundred Fifty-Seven - Cubs 5 Cardinals 1
WP - Jeff Samardzija (8-4) LP - Kyle McClellan (12-7) Save - None

The Cubs took it to the Cardinals bullpen Friday night in St. Louis. The game was tied at one going into the eighth in a must win game for the Cardinals. Both Ryan Dempster and Chris Carpenter were out of the game and it was up to the bullpens.

The Cubs scored four runs over the final two frames with the big blast coming off the bat of Alfonso Soriano. Soriano hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Kyle McClellan and Starlin Castro added a RBI single in the ninth to cap his big night.

Friday night's victory in St. Louis will not soon be forgotten ... and it has nothing to do with the final score.

Starlin Castro passed the 200-hit mark on Friday night with his 56th multi-hit game of the season. Castro singled to center on Chris Carpenter's second pitch of the night. Castro finished the game 2-for-5 with a RBI and became the youngest player in Cubs history to collect 200 hits in a single season. Castro reached base safely for the 35th game in a row, a new record for a Cubs' shortstop. Not only did Castro set franchise records, he also joined some elite company in the history of the game.

Starlin Castro became just the 10th player since 1900 to collect 200 hits in a season by a player 21 years or younger. Castro is the first player since Alex Rodriguez (1995) to accomplish the feat and joins such names as Al Kaline (1955), Joe DiMaggio (1936) and Ty Cobb (1907).

Alfonso Soriano (1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI) picked the right time to hit his first home run of the month. Soriano broke the one-one tie in the eighth with a three-run shot, his 25th longball of the year.

Carlos Pena (1-for-1 with a double, a RBI, a run scored and three walks) doubled in Darwin Barney (2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored) with the tying run off Chris Carpenter in the sixth. Pena also made a little history of his own.

Carlos Pena walked three times on Friday night and in the process he set a modern day record for walks in a single season by a Cubs' first baseman. Pena has walked 97 times this year and passed Mark Grace on the Cubs All-Time list for the most walks by a first baseman in a single season. Grace walked 95 times in 2000.

Ryan Dempster had a rough night but was able to get within 3 1/3 innings of his 200-inning goal. Dempster gave up just one run on four hits with five strikeouts in six innings ... the Cardinals' lone run scored on a suicide squeeze off the bat of Chris Carpenter. Dempster struggled with his command and walked six batters for the fourth time this season. Dempster threw 106 pitches, 57 for strikes, and received a no decision.

The Cubs defense stepped up behind Dempster on Friday night. The Cubs turned two of their three double plays behind Dempster and D.J. LeMahieu made a terrific leaping catch to take away an extra base hit from Ryan Theriot in the fourth. LeMahieu started two of the Cubs' three double plays (a 5-2-3 to end the sixth and a 5-3 to end the eighth).

Jeff Samardzija, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol kept the Cardinals off the board over the final three innings.

With Friday's win over the Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers won their first division title since 1982 and their first in the National League. Q's Cubs won for the 70th time this year (70-87), 17 games under with five left to play ...

Game One Hundred Fifty-Six - Cubs 7 Brewers 1
WP - Matt Garza (9-10) LP - Randy Wolf (13-10) Save - None

The Twenty-Eleven version of the Chicago Cubs played their final home game of the season Wednesday afternoon and beat the Milwaukee Brewers at their own game. The Cubs out-hit and out-pitched their division rivals.

The Cubs lost the season series with Milwaukee (6-10) but took two of three in this series as the Brewers tried to close out the division.

The young Cubs ended up being the difference in the series. After Geovany Soto and Casey Coleman led the way on Monday night, it was Matt Garza, Starlin Castro and D.J. LeMahieu's turn on Wednesday ... with a little help from Marlon Byrd and Geovany Soto.

Matt Garza tossed a complete game gem ... his second nine-inning performance in as many starts. Garza is one of only two pitchers on the Cubs staff to throw nine innings in a start this season (Randy Wells). Garza has completed nine innings of work in three starts ... but Wednesday was the first time he'd posted a victory (1-1 with a no decision).

On a day with the wind blowing out, Matt Garza kept the high-powered Brewers offense in check. Garza allowed one unearned run on six hits with a walk, a hit by pitch and 10 strikeouts. Garza threw 123 pitches (88 for strikes) and other than Jerry Hairston, Jr. (2-for-4 with a double) he kept Milwaukee off balance all afternoon.

Starlin Castro's quest of reaching the 200 hit mark during the homestand fell one short in the last game of the year at Wrigley. Starlin Castro (2-for-3 with a double, a RBI, a run scored and two walks) notched two hits and walked twice, once intentionally. Castro received a standing ovation as he stepped to the plate in the eighth one hit shy. The Brewers did not give him anything to hit.

Starlin Castro reached base for the 34th game in a row and tied a mark set by Woody English in 1929 for the most consecutive games reached base by a Cubs shortstop (34). Castro is nine short of the 43 games Jerome Walton reached safely in 1989.

D.J. LeMahieu (2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored) got the start at third for the injured Aramis Ramirez. LeMahieu ended up delivering the game winning hit in the fifth inning after Randy Wolf intentionally walked Castro to face him with two outs and the game tied at one. LeMahieu was solid in the field until he lost an infield pop up in the sun in the ninth that was ruled the Cubs' second error of the game. LeMahieu started two around the horn double plays on Wednesday afternoon.

Marlon Byrd (1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI) gave Garza a lot of breathing room in the sixth. Byrd hit his ninth home run of the year off Wolf and the three-run shot gave the Cubs a 6-1 lead. Bryan LaHair was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored hitting out of the eighth spot in Quade's lineup.

Geovany Soto (3-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored) put together another good game against Brewers' pitching. Soto doubled in D.J. LeMahieu in the seventh, the Cubs last run of the season at the old ballyard.

Quade's offense pounded out 13 hits, walked three times and finished the game 4-for-12 with RISP and left seven on base.

The only negative from Wednesday's game was the two charged errors (Castro and LeMahieu) that added to the Cubs' league worst total (130).

The Cubs finished the home part of their schedule with a 39-42 mark (4-2 on the last homestand) and the 30,965 on hand Wednesday ran the Cubs attendance total to 3,017,966 for the season ... the eighth straight year the Cubs drew over three million in attendance.

With Wednesday's win, the Cubs improved to 69-87 on the season ... 18 games below .500 ...

Game One Hundred Fifty-Five - Cubs 1 Brewers 5
WP - Shaun Marcum (13-7) LP - Randy Wells (7-5) Save - None

The Cubs played their final night game of the year at Wrigley Field ... and it ended up as another sloppy loss for Q's Cubs. After playing one of their better games of the month on Monday, it was back to the norm for Q's Cubs on Tuesday. Bad pitching, poor defense, no patience at the plate and not a single hit with runners in scoring position (0-for-5 with RISP, five left on base).

Starlin Castro provided the Cubs only highlight of the night. Castro hit his 10th home run of the season leading off the sixth inning. Castro has now reached base in 33 straight games, the second longest streak by a Cubs' shortstop. Woody English had a 34-game hitting streak in 1929.

Starlin Castro's homer inched him closer to 200 hits for the season (197) and pushed him past Glenn Beckert on the Cubs All-Time list for the most hits in the first two seasons to start a career. Beckert recorded 335 hits in 1965-1966, Castro has 336 and counting dating back to May 2009.

The Cubs managed only six hits on the night ... and not a single walk. Darwin Barney (2-for-4 with two doubles), Randy Wells (1-for-1), Reed Johnson (1-for-1) and Blake DeWitt (1-for-1) were the other four Cubs to record a hit in the loss.

Aramis Ramirez (0-for-3) left after the sixth inning with a mild strain in his right quad. Ramirez is doubtful for Wednesday's home finale and has likely played his last game at Wrigley as a Cub. Following the game, Ramirez said he will likely move on after the season and test the free agent market.

Shaun Marcum was in control of the extremely aggressive Cubs lineup all night. Marcum had one of his best outings of the second half. Marcum allowed only one run on five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Marcum threw only 97 pitches, 68 for strikes, in eight innings.

Randy Wells put together another bad outing and lost his first game since July 28 in Milwaukee. Wells lasted five innings but the game was over after the third. The Brewers exploded in the third for four runs on five hits (with an error) and put the game away. Wells survived the fourth inning but could not get out of the fifth without allowing another run. Wells uncorked two wild pitches during an at bat to Ryan Braun in the fifth that allowed Nyjer Morgan to advance all the way to third without a hit. Morgan ended up scoring the Brewers fifth run on a 5-4 fielder's choice.

Randy Wells allowed five runs on six hits in five innings with two walks, three strikeouts, a HBP and two wild pitches. Wells threw 87 pitches, 54 for strikes.

Andrew Cashner walked one of the four batters he faced in the eighth. Cashner threw the ball well. Ramon Ortiz and John Grabow pitched the other three innings (Ortiz pitched the sixth and seventh and Grabow the ninth) in what should have been their last outings in a Cubs' uniform at Wrigley. The innings Mike Quade gave Ortiz and Grabow on Tuesday night should have gone to John Gaub and Rafael Dolis.

With Tuesday's loss, the Cubs slipped back to 19 games under .500 with a 68-87 record ...

Game One Hundred Fifty-Four - Cubs 5 Brewers 2
WP - Casey Coleman (3-8) LP - Chris Narveson (10-8) Save - None

The final score from Monday night's game should read ... Geovany Soto 5, Milwaukee Brewers 2.

Geovany Soto broke out of his recent slump in a big way. Soto drove in all five of the Cubs runs on two, two-run homers and a single. Monday night was Soto's third multi-homer game, all against the Brewers. Soto collected the Cubs first hit off Chris Narveson in the third. Following a Carlos Pena (0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored) walk, Soto crushed a 1-1 pitch onto Waveland ... the first homer hit onto Waveland by a Cubs player this season. Soto added a RBI single in the fourth and his second two-run shot in the sixth.

Starlin Castro collected his 196th hit of the season, a single to left to start the seventh ... Castro has reached base in 32 straight ball games. Aramis Ramirez (1-for-4), Darwin Barney (1-for-3 with a walk) and Alfonso Soriano (1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) all contributed in the Cubs first ever win over Chris Narveson.

Casey Coleman picked up the second win of his career at Wrigley and his first win in four months (May 19 in Florida). Coleman arguably had his best night on a big league mound. Coleman struck out a career-high eight batters and held the high-powered Brewers' offense to one run on two hits in six innings. Coleman hit a batter, walked three and threw 92 pitches, 61 for strikes. Coleman did a good job of keeping the ball down and pitching ahead in the count. Coleman's only mistake came in the third when he left a 1-1 pitch up to Jerry Hariston, Jr. ... and the former Cub hit it out of the park.

The Cubs' pen did a good job in relief of Casey Coleman. Jeff Samardzija faced the minimum in the seventh and Sean Marshall worked around a leadoff infield single by Corey Hart in the eighth.

Carlos Marmol was wild in the ninth and served up a one-out solo homer to Casey McGehee. Marmol gave up three hits in his inning of work but struck out the last two batters he faced to end the game (Taylor Green and Corey Hart).

With Monday's win, the Brewers will not be able to celebrate winning the NL Central Crown at Wrigley Field ... and the Cubs improved to 68-86 on the season, 18 games below .500.

Game One Hundred Fifty-Three - Cubs 2 Astros 3
WP - Brett Myers (6-13) LP - Ryan Dempster (10-13) Save - Mark Melancon (18)

As the cliché goes, baseball is a game of inches and that is exactly what the Cubs lost by on Sunday afternoon ... inches. Q's Cubs did very little for seven innings against Brett Myers and appeared to be well on their way to losing to Myers for the third time this season (half of Myers six wins have come against the Cubs). Ryan Dempster gave the Astros three runs in the opening inning and the Cubs could not mount a comeback ... until the eighth inning.

Darwin Barney ended up a third to start the eighth after Brian Bogusevic misplayed a ball into a three-base error. Starlin Castro walked and Aramis Ramirez was summoned from the bench.

Aramis Ramirez hit a deep fly to right that Bogusevic made a tremendous catch on and took away an extra base knock from Ramirez and kept the Cubs from tying the game. Barney tagged and made it a one-run game.

Carlos Pena (1-for-4 with a double) ripped a 1-2 pitch into left that appeared to hit in the basket and bounce back on the field. The ball was ruled a home run and both Castro and Pena circled the bases.

The play was reviewed and overturned. Pena was given a double, Castro was sent back to third and Mike Quade was eventually ejected.

Brad Mills brought in his closer, Mark Melancon, to face Marlon Byrd with runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth ... and the Cubs down 3-2. Byrd popped the first pitch into shallow right to end the inning.

The game was put into a rain delay just after the impatient Byrd ended the eighth. One hour and seven minutes later, two of the worst teams in the league completed the game and the Cubs ended up on the short end of a one-run game ... all three games in the series was decided by one run.

The Cubs inability to hit with runners in scoring position cost them again on Sunday. After going hitless on Saturday with RISP (0-for-8 with nine left on base), Quade's offense was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six more runners on base.

Starlin Castro (1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a walk) reached base for the 31st straight game ... the longest streak for a Cubs' shortstop since Woody English (34) in 1929. Bryan LaHair (1-for-3 with a RBI) drove in one of the Cubs' two runs with a sac fly in the first ... both of the Cubs' runs on Sunday scored on sac flies. Marlon Byrd (2-for-4) added a pair of hits, but not when it counted the most.

Ryan Dempster struggled in the first inning and gave up three runs on three hits with a pair of walks in the opening inning. Dempster ended up going seven innings and kept his team in the game but once again he put his team in an early hole they could not dig out of. Dempster allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in seven innings on 102 pitches, 72 for strikes.

Third base umpire, Marty Foster, ejected Mike Quade in the eighth inning for arguing that Castro would have scored if Foster had not signaled home run on Pena opposite field liner. Quade tied a franchise record with his seventh ejection of the season ... Johnny Evers in 1913 and Frankie Frisch in 1950.

The Cubs won the series (2-1) and season series (8-7) against the Astros, but Sunday's loss (7-17 on Sundays in 2011) dropped the Cubs to 67-86 on the year, 19 games below .500 ...