HOUSTON, April 12 (UPI) -- Alfonso Soriano and Marlon Byrd each drove in a pair of runs Monday and the Chicago Cubs withstood a Houston comeback to log a 5-4 win over the Astros.
Starlin Castro collected three singles and scored three times, adding a stolen base for the Cubs, who posted a 5-0 lead and then held on for the win.
Ryan Dempster (1-2) earned the win after yielding four runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine while walking three.
Houston narrowed the Cubs' lead to 5-4 with three runs in the seventh, highlighted by an inside-the-park home run by Bill Hall and Angel Sanchez's two-run blast.
John Grabow managed to end the rally and Carlos Marmol notched a four-out save, his fourth save of the season, to secure the victory for Chicago.
Astros starter Nelson Figueroa (0-2) was roughed up for five runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings.
