CHICAGO • It wasn't the first time in the rich history of this arch-rivalry that a Cubs second baseman had two home runs in the same game to blast away the Cardinals.
It was just the first time in a long time.
Starlin Castro, a player under siege at times with the Cubs for his lapses in attention and long flashes of under-performing, stood above a chippy game against the Cardinals with two home runs and six RBIs as the third-place Cubs continued their assault on the standings with a 8-3 victory at Wrigley Field.