Texas MLB Capsules: Bourn helps Astros beat Cubs

Bourn had three hits and three RBIs, Brett Wallace hit his first career home run, and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Tuesday night.

"The last couple of games he's (Bourn) been outstanding. "Today he was swinging the bat and he ran the bases extremely well," said Astros manager Brad Mills.

Bourn also scored twice for the Astros who won for the 12th time in 16 games.

"Sometimes you have games like this. But sometimes you might have one hit and that might be the deciding factor. You might get a walk. Whatever it is. I'm trying to do something. It might be on defense," said Bourn.

Astros starter Nelson Figueroa (5-2) pitched five innings to earn the victory. He allowed three runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked three. Figueroa was backed by four scoreless innings from the Houston bullpen, which allowed only one hit.

"He (Figueroa) had to work really hard to get through that 5. He used a lot of pitches to get through that," said Mills.

Cubs starter Carlos Silva (10-6), who made his first start since Aug. 1, was tagged for six runs on nine hits in five innings. In his previous start at Colorado, he left after recording only one out with an abnormal heart rate. Silva underwent a surgical procedure called cardiac ablation to correct the problem a week later. He returned after two rehab starts for Class A Peoria, but was far from regaining his stuff that helped him win his first eight decisions of the season.

"Probably not that unusual coming off a situation like this. Obviously you would like to see some improvement ... but there are a variety of things going on. It's late but you hope after some more activity that his arm strength will be better and his stuff will be better as well," said Cubs manager Mike Quade.

Silva said his heart felt fine.

"I feel really good, especially after the second inning, I felt more comfortable on the mound, but the result wasn't good at all," said Silva.

Tyler Colvin drove in two runs on two hits for the Cubs.

Trailing 2-1 in the second inning, Wallace homered to tie the game. Tommy Manzella and Jason Castro followed with back-to-back singles. With two outs, Bourn hit a two-run double in the left-center gap to give the Astros a 4-2 lead.

Leading 4-3 in the fifth, Bourn led off with a single and stole before scoring on Jeff Keppinger's single. Hunter Pence followed with a double down the right-field line, scoring Keppinger from first without a throw.

Bourn led off the game with a triple to right-center and scored on Keppinger's RBI single.

"He was going from homeplate (1st inning triple). That was very nice to see. A standup triple," said Mills.

In the first inning, Kosuke Fukudome led off with a double and score on Marlon Byrd's single. Byrd scored on Colvin's fielder's choice.

Micah Hoffpauir walked in the third inning and scored on Colvin's triple.

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro spent his second game on the bench after not knowing how many outs there were in the seventh inning of Chicago's 18-5 loss to the Mets. The rookie came into the game with the third best batting average in the National League at .317.

Quade is unsure if he will play him on Wednesday night.

"I will sleep on that tonight and contemplate. He's had a couple of good days and has done a lot of extra work and has had some time, so we will see," said Quade. "I asked him to get about his business, you don't want have this wind up as time off with nothing gained."<

NOTES: Before the game, a statue of Hall of Famer Billy Williams was dedicated by the Chicago Cubs outside Wrigley Field on Tuesday. The sculpture was unveiled before Chicago's home game against the Houston Astros. Williams was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, Shirley. Also in attendance were former teammates Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo and Glenn Beckert, and Chicago dignitary Rev. Jesse Jackson. ... Bourn also added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

Wells hits 2 homers, Blue Jays beat Rangers 8-5

TORONTO (AP) — If he keeps pounding the Rangers like this, Vernon Wells won't be welcome back in Texas this winter.

Wells hit two home runs, Adam Lind and John Buck also connected and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Texas 8-5 on Tuesday night for their seventh consecutive victory over the Rangers.

Wells has gone deep in three straight games and is batting .448 (13 for 29) with eight homers and 16 RBIs in eight games against his hometown team this year.

"I've got some people upset at home," said Wells, who lives near Arlington in the offseason.

Right now, Rangers fans are just upset that their first-place team is stumbling badly in September. Texas, which began the day with a seven-game lead in the AL West over Oakland, has lost five straight and nine of 12.

"It seems like every time we get a ball up in the zone against these guys, they don't miss it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Vladimir Guerrero replied with a two-run shot for Texas, which has lost 12 of 17 in Toronto.

For Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, the victory was the 900th of his career. Gaston led Toronto to consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 but intends to retire after the season.

"He's done a lot in this game and for this city," Wells said. "The guys in here want to finish strong and have him go out the right way."

The Blue Jays lead the majors with 215 home runs this season, including a major league-high 119 at home. Toronto has gone deep in nine straight games, hitting 20 homers during that span. They have hit three or more home runs in a game 33 times, the most in baseball.

Wells hit two solo homers to left, one in the fourth inning and another in the seventh, giving him 27 on the season. The first was a towering shot into the fourth deck, the second was a liner into the corner. It was his third multihomer game of the season and the 21st of his career.

Buck hit a solo shot to right in the second, his 17th, and Lind hit a two-run drive off the restaurant in center field in the seventh, his 20th.

The crowd of 10,518 was Toronto's second-smallest of the season. The Blue Jays drew 10,314 on April 19 against Kansas City.

Shaun Marcum (12-7) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings to win for the first time since Aug. 16 at Oakland and match his career high for wins. Marcum, who walked two and struck out eight, went 12-6 in 2007.

"I wouldn't say he was electric but he was tricky," Buck said. "He was changing speeds on his changeup. He was locating his fastball down low and away. After that he'd throw a good cutter and follow it up with three different speeds off his changeup."

Marcum had elbow ligament replacement surgery in Sept. 2008 and did not pitch last season.

"He's been able to prove that he's back from his injury and continues to get better," Wells said. "It's been a pleasure to watch."

Jason Frasor worked the eighth and Kevin Gregg got two outs for his 31st save in 36 chances after Shawn Camp gave up a two-run single to Andres Blanco in the ninth.

"We waited till the end of the game to battle, but the home runs that we gave up came back to haunt us," Washington said.

Texas right-hander Scott Feldman (6-10) was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game to pitch in place of injured lefty Cliff Lee (back). Feldman, who had been sidelined with a sore right knee, started for the first time since July 24.

Lee recently got a cortisone shot in his back after going 0-3 with an 8.28 ERA in his last five starts, and won't start again until this weekend when the Rangers host the New York Yankees. He threw a bullpen session before Tuesday's game, which Washington said "went well."

Toronto got to Feldman in the second on Buck's homer. The ball struck a metal bar above the outfield wall and bounced back onto the field, and Buck initially stopped at second. Gaston argued and the umpires huddled before heading off for a video review. After about 2 minutes, crew chief Tom Hallion came out and indicated it was a home run.

Texas answered in the fourth on Guerrero's two-run shot to left, his 26th.

Toronto tied it in the bottom half on Wells' first homer, then reclaimed the lead and chased Feldman in the fifth on Jose Bautista's two-run double.

Feldman lost his fourth straight decision, allowing four runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. His only walk was intentional, and he struck out four.

"(Toronto is) playing pretty good right now and they're really making us pay for the mistakes we're making," Feldman said.

NOTES: Rangers SS Elvis Andrus (right hamstring) took batting practice but will not play until Friday, to keep him off Toronto's turf, Washington said. ... The metal letter 'B' in a Jackie Robinson sign that was dislodged by Bautista's foul ball and fell on a fan Monday had been screwed back into place Tuesday.