Castro’s 2 homers, 6 RBIs lead Cubs over Cardinals

CHICAGO – Starlin Castro matched his career high with six RBIs, hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the fifth and a three-run drive in the sixth to lead the Chicago Cubs over the St. Louis Cardinals 8-3 Friday for their fourth straight win.

Castro went 3 for 3 with a walk in the third multihomer game of his career. He put the Cubs ahead 5-3 in the fifth with his drive off Seth Maness (4-2), then connected off Steve Cishek in the sixth for his 10th homer this season.

Chicago closed the day one game behind Pittsburgh for the NL’s top wild-card berth, after the Pirates lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2. The Cubs closed within six games of the NL Central-leading Cardinals.

Tommy Hunter (2-0), the second of six Chicago relievers, got one out in the fifth, and Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop, Fernando Rodney and Neil Ramirez combined for four scoreless innings of two-hit relief.

Cardinals starter Lance Lynn lasted 3 1/3 innings and threw 83 pitches, allowing three runs, four hits and six walks.

Chicago starter Dan Haren gave up three runs – one earned – and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny and Matt Belisle, the sixth St. Louis reliever, were ejected in the seventh after Belisle hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch.

Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy and Juan Uribe each homered, and closer Jeurys Familia shook off the Yankees’ best shot in the ninth inning to help the New York Mets to a 5-1 victory at Citi Field in the opener of the Subway Series.