A well-rounded victory couldn't erase the stench of the Cubs' 9-17 record in April.
But there were some developments during the Cubs' 9-4 victory Wednesday night at the Great American Ball Park that put some distance between last season's debacle as well provide some encouragement for the final five months of this year.
For starters, Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo continued their offensive resurgence with strong performances.
Castro fueled a 13-hit attack with three hits, including a game-tying RBI single in the third and a double that ignited a four-run rally in the ninth as the Cubs tied their season high in runs while turning a close game into a blowout.
Castro raised his batting average 18 points to .308, a healthy improvement over his .245 mark in 2013.
Rizzo continued his resurrection against left-handers when he cranked a two-run homer off Tony Cingrani in the first inning and then drew walks in his next four at-bats. Rizzo raised his batting average against left-handers to .387 in 31 at-bats, compared to last season's .189 mark.
Two of Rizzo's four homers have been hit off left-handers, and the last Cubs player to draw four walks in a game was Carlos Pena against the Pirates on Sept. 4, 2011.
"I trust whoever is hitting behind me," said Rizzo, referring to Castro, who has a five-game hitting streak since moving to the cleanup spot. - See more at: http://www.fancyjersey.com/
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