Cubs Beat Marlins 5-1 In Rain-Truncated Game

July 19, 2012 12:00 AM " CHICAGO (AP) — Jeff Samardzija knows his role with the Chicago Cubs may soon become much more prominent.

He looked up to the task on Wednesday night, battling without his best stuff as the Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 5-1 in a rain-shortened game.

Starlin Castro homered, and the Cubs batted around in a four-run seventh.

Heavy rain began falling with Miami batting in the top of the eighth and the teams never returned to the field. The game was called after a 1-hour, 17-minute delay.

Samardzija was effective for a third consecutive outing, allowing one run over five innings, though he did not factor in the decision.

He got out of a jam in the fifth despite Emilio Bonifacio’s leadoff triple. Logan Morrison hit a grounder with the infield in, but catcher Geovany Soto bobbled the throw on a botched rundown to put runners at second and third. Samardzija struck out Ramirez and got Greg Dobbs to ground out to end the threat.

Samardzija was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth. He finished with nine strikeouts and two walks, scattering six hits.

“After that rundown, I kind of just took a second "

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