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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs surged ahead early in a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in the third of a four-game set at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.

How it happened: Former Cub and No. 1 draft pick Andrew Cashner started for the first time against Chicago. Cashner was traded to San Diego for first baseman Anthony Rizzo in 2011. Manager Dale Sveum started seven left-handed hitters in his lineup. Starlin Castro started the scoring with an RBI single that plated Julio Borbon in the first inning. Cubs starting pitcher Scott Feldman doubled in the second run, scoring Darwin Barney in the second inning. Cashner's pitch count (76 through three innings) skyrocketed in the third, thanks in large part to a two-run double by catcher Dioner Navarro. Cashner’s 89th pitch was an RBI groundout off the bat of Luis Valbuena. Nate Schierholtz doubled home the sixth run in the seventh inning. San Diego second baseman Jedd Gyorko hits his first major league home run to break up Feldman's shutout in the eighth. Chase Headley homered with one out in the ninth.

What it means: The Cubs have won six of their past nine games. With a win on Thursday, they can wrap up their second straight series victory. Feldman pitched his first career complete game as he records his second consecutive win while striking out 12. That matches his career high. After a rough beginning to the season, the veteran pitcher has been outstanding as of late.

Outside the box: Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said infielder Ian Stewart is not ready to return to the major leagues; he's rehabbing a leg injury in the minors. Teams can send a player out for only 20 days on a rehab assignment. “You can always get recertified if you are not healthy yet," Epstein said. "He has had some bumps and bruises along the way. We will just monitor it daily and see how he is doing.” … Another rehab began for the Cubs as RHP Matt Garza threw 42 pitches in 2⅔ innings at Double-A on Wednesday. Garza is rehabbing from a strained side muscle he injured on Feb. 17. Sveum said Garza will return to the team in between minor league starts. He also stated his pitcher would be re-evaluated after the third outing.

Up next: Chicago LHP Travis Wood (2-1, 2.25 ERA) faces Padres LHP Eric Stults (2-2, 5.67 ERA) in Thursday's series finale.

Here's a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday:

How it happened:Luis Valbuena hit a two-out, solo home run in the top of the 9th to break the 3-3 tie. Carlos Marmol came on for the save and walked the first batter he faced and then yielded a hit before finishing out the save. Edwin Jackson was looking for his first win of the season, but yielded three earned runs in six innings. Nate Schierholtz had two hits, including a home run.

What it means: It's all about the closer right now with the Cubs, and while Marmol struggled, he got it done.

Next: Scott Feldman (0-3, 4.50) looks for his first win as he takes on Wade LeBlanc (0-3, 6.27) in a 6:10 CT start.

CINCINNATI -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday:

How it happened: Todd Frazier hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, and it held up as the Cubs were limited to just five hits on the day. Jeff Samardzija and Reds starter Mat Latos threw well with Samardzija getting out of several jams, including one in the third when he struck out the side after giving up back-to-back singles. The Cubs had a chance in the eighth with runners on second and third, but Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus couldn't bring them home. DeJesus was thrown out by shortstop Zack Cozart on a great play to end the inning.

What it means: Chalk up another wasted quality outing by a starter, and this time it wasn't the defense or bullpen that let the Cubs down but an anemic offense. The Cubs played much better in Cincinnati than over the past weekend in Milwaukee but earned just one win to show for it.

Key moment: With the tying and lead runs on second and third in the eighth, Dale Sveum chose to pinch hit Soriano in the pitcher's spot. Welington Castillo and Darwin Barney were on the bench as well but Sveum went with Soriano, who struck out quickly.

Next: The Cubs travel to Miami to begin a four-game series with the Marlins on Thursday. Edwin Jackson opposes Kevin Slowey at 6:10 p.m. CT.

CINCINNATI – Here’s a quick look at the Cincinnati Reds' 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs in extra innings on Monday night at Great American Ball Park.


How it happened: Luis Valbuena homered in the top of the 13th inning to break a 2-2 tie after Welington Castillo reached on an error, but it didn’t hold up. The Reds’ Jay Bruce tied it again with a two-run double in the bottom half of the inning and then Cesar Izturis drove him in with a two-out single to win it. Michael Bowden suffered the loss. The Cubs got on the board with a leadoff home run by David DeJesus, who drove the ball just over the right field fence and inside the foul pole. They added a run in the third when Starlin Castro brought home Darwin Barney with a base hit. The Reds scored two runs in seventh inning to tie the game. Bruce led off with a home run and one out later Chris Heisey singled to end Cubs starter Travis Wood's night. Reliever Shawn Camp balked Heisey over to second then James Russell gave up a triple to pinch-hitter Jack Hannahan.

What it means: Yet again a Cubs starter failed to get a victory despite a quality effort. Wood pitched very effectively into the seventh inning but his relief corps couldn’t help him out by holding a one-run lead. More important, Wood keeps on showing he belongs in the majors as a starter; he faced the best hitting lineup against lefties in baseball coming into the night. They might not be after his four-hit, two-run effort.

Marmol time: Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless ninth and 10th, striking out Joey Votto with the winning run on third base and two outs in the 10th. He’s gone six straight appearances (7 IP) without giving up a run after getting scored upon in his first three outings of the season.

Key stats: Castro got a hit in his career high 14th consecutive game. …The Reds had just five hits in the first 12 innings but added three in the 13th. … Shin-Soo Choo broke a 109-year-old Reds record by getting hit by a pitch for the 10th time this month when Wood hit him in the sixth. … The Reds entered the game with the best fielding percentage in the National League, but committed 3 errors. The Cubs had none.

What’s next: Carlos Villanueva (1-0, 1.29 ERA) takes the mound against lefty Tony Cingrani (1-0, 1.80 ERA) in Tuesday’s middle game of the series in a 7:10 CT start.

A quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at Miller Park.

How it happened: The Cubs’ Scott Feldman got off to a strong start, but was undone by a three-run homer from the Brewers’ Ryan Braun in the fifth. After Yunieski Betancourt led off the inning with a double, Feldman struck out the next two batters. An error on Feldman allowed Jean Segura to reach first and then Braun made him pay with the home run. Anthony Rizzo provided the scoring for the Cubs in the third, hitting his sixth home run of the season off Wily Peralta, a two-run shot with two outs. Michael Bowden, James Russell and Shawn Camp threw three hitless innings in relief for the Cubs.

What it means: The Cubs were swept by the surging Brewers, who have won seven straight to climb back over .500. The Cubs fell to 5-12.

Outside the box: The Cubs have committed nine of their 17 errors against the Brewers, with Feldman and Welington Castillo adding to the total on Sunday.

Up next: The Cubs’ 10-game road trip continues Monday with a series in Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark. Travis Wood (1-1, 1.83 ERA) will take on the Reds’ Mike Leake (1-0, 4.26 ERA) in a 7:10 CT start.

MILWAUKEE -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 5-4 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night at Miller Park.

How it happened: An awful first inning sunk the Cubs as the first five batters reached via error, single, home run, double and triple. But starter Jeff Samardzija finally shut the door after four runs had crossed the plate, giving his team a chance. The visitors put up three of their own in the third inning on home runs by Luis Valbuena and David DeJesus. But the Cubs offense stalled after that despite putting the leadoff hitter on base in seven consecutive innings. The teams exchanged late-inning home runs when the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez went deep followed by Anthony Rizzo the next inning.

Sveum ejected: Cubs manager Dale Sveum was sent to the showers in the sixth inning after arguing with home plate umpire Chris Guccione. Guccione had removed his mask to respond to Samardzija, who yelled towards home plate after a borderline pitch to Ryan Braun was called a ball. Sveum got in his money’s worth before leaving the field.

What it means: There was some good that came of the loss in that Samardzija once again proved he can overcome adversity. Rizzo’s error on the opening batter and a perfectly executed hit-and-run set the tone for the awful first inning but after the damage was done, Samardzija retired 17 of the next 19 batters.

What’s next: The series continues on Saturday night when Edwin Jackson (0-2, 6.06 ERA) takes the mound for the 5-10 Cubs against the Brewers’ Hiram Burgos (first start of season). Game time is 6:10 CT.

Let's take a quick look at the Cubs' 10-7 loss to the Giants on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

How it Happened: The Cubs quickly jumped out to a lead, putting a four spot up in the bottom of the first inning on a pair of two-run homers by Starlin Castro and Nate Schierholtz off Giants starter Tim Lincecum. An ugly sixth inning for the Cubs saw Edwin Jackson and reliever Michael Bowden combine for four walks and five wild pitches (the latter a regular season record for an inning, according to ESPN Stats & Info) as the Giants plated four in the frame. The Cubs fought back to take a 7-6 lead in the eighth, only to see Camp blow his first save attempt of the season, giving up a solo home run to Hunter Pence. Camp gave up three more in the 10th, one via a balk, as the Giants went on to win 10-7.

What it Means: Jackson looked brilliant through five with eight strikeouts and only one walk. But the inconsistent righty seemed to lose his command in the sixth, walking two and tossing two wild pitches in the inning. Jackson has moments of brilliance, but it's those types of innings that have frustrated numerous teams during his time in the big leagues.

Under the Radar: Starlin Castro slugged his second home run of the season in the first inning, a feat he didn't accomplish until May 17th last season. While the young shortstop has yet to draw a walk this season, the increase in power (.519 slugging percentage) is definitely a positive sign. Castro has hits in 10 of the Cubs 12 games, six of them being multi-hit games.

What's Next: The Cubs start a three game set with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. A pair of lefties take the mound as Travis Wood faces Derek Holland at 7:05 pm at Wrigley Field.

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 7-6 loss to the defending world champion San Francisco Giants:

How it happened: Starlin Castro's two-out error in the fourth inning opened the floodgates for the Giants as they scored four times after the ground ball got by him. The big blow was a two-run bases loaded double by Pablo Sandoval. It came with the Cubs leading 5-0 as Brent Lillibridge had his first hit as a Cub, a two-out bases-loaded single in the third. After pulling within one in the fourth, the Giants took the lead for good in the fifth as reliever Hisanori Takahashi walked pitcher Ryan Vogelsong with the bases loaded and then gave up a sacrifice fly and two-run single to Ben Crawford. Anthony Rizzo homered for the third time this season but the Cubs managed just one run the rest of the way on a double-play grounder by Welington Castillo in the eighth.

What it means: Starter Scott Feldman didn't pitch great but it's hard to fully judge him -- as a pitcher -- when errors or mental lapses are made behind him or by him. In the same inning Castro made his error Lillibridge decided not to throw a ball to Feldman as he covered first on a ground ball which went wide of Anthony Rizzo. Feldman has been involved in three such issues covering first base this season already, although on that play Lillibridge made the mistake. Infield defense was supposed to be a strength of the Cubs this year -- it's been anything but. The Cubs are now 3-6 on the season.

Key stats: The Cubs have committed the most errors in the majors this season with 10. Castro has three … Nate Schierholtz was 3-4 with a stolen base against his former team, raising his average to .370 … Rizzo has just six hits this season but three have left the park.

What's next: The four-game series with the Giants continues as Carlos Villanueva takes the mound at 1:20 p.m. CT Friday.

CHICAGO -- A quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 6-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

How it happened: Pinch hitter Scott Hairston's eighth-inning sacrifice fly broke a 3-all tie before David DeJesus' two-run double made a winner of Carlos Marmol. Cubs starter Travis Wood pitched out of a first-inning jam before trouble hit in the second. Shortstop Starlin Castro made two errant throws and catcher Welington Castillo also threw a ball away that led to three Brewers runs (two earned). The Cubs scratched out a run in the fifth inning off of Willy Peralta on an Anthony Rizzo groundout. The Cubs got two more in the seventh, as Castro drove in a run on a RBI groundout that scored pinch hitter Steve Clevenger and Rizzo tied it on the next at-bat with a double plating DeJesus. Marmol pitched a scoreless eighth inning thanks to a diving play by Castro, who saved a run from crossing the plate. The team’s first night game of the season was the earliest scheduled since April 5, 1989 and featured a 30-degree wind chill.

What it means: The Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak. They had lost nine of their last 10 games against Milwaukee dating back to June 6, 2012. Wood has thrown 12.1 innings this season allowing two earned runs. The beleaguered Marmol threw a scoreless inning for the second straight day.

Outside the box: Manager Dale Sveum said Matt Garza should be back with the team in four weeks once he begins his rehab assignment sometime next week. Darwin Barney will go out on a minor league rehab assignment this weekend. If all goes well, Barney will likely return to the team on April 16. The second baseman went on the DL April 1 with a left knee laceration. Brent Lillibridge went 0-for-3, extending his season-long hitless streak to 0-for-17.

Up next: The Cubs send right-hander Scott Feldman (0-1, 7.71 ERA) against Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse (0-0, 1.50) in the finale of the three-game series Wednesday night.

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Cubs' 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in their home opener on Monday:

How it happened: The Brewers took early advantage of the windy day, scoring four times in the first inning after Martin Maldonado doubled with the bases loaded, driving in three runs. They added a run in the second on a Ryan Braun RBI double before Welington Castillo got the Cubs on the board with a two-run home run to centerfield. Milwaukee added two runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Yunieski Betancourt and an RBI double by pitcher Marco Estrada. The Cubs made it interesting in the ninth with RBI singles by Nate Schierholtz and Luis Valbuena but stranded the bases loaded on a flyout by Starlin Castro.

What it means: The Cubs went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, continuing a trend in the early part of the season. Castro tripled and doubled but never scored in the game, highlighting the weakness in the middle of the order. Edwin Jackson didn't follow up a strong first start, but settled down after the first inning and struck out six over six innings. But five walks (one intentional) helped do him in. This game falls on the offense, considering the hitter-friendly conditions. The Cubs are now 52-45-1 in Wrigley Field opening games and 2-5 this season, overall.

What's next: The Cubs host their first night game at 7:05 p.m. CT Tuesday when Travis Wood pitches against the Brewers' Wily Peralta in Game 2 of the series.

ATLANTA -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

How it happened: Jeff Samardzija was sailing along to the tune of 13 strikeouts, but ran into trouble in the sixth inning. A walk and hit batter helped set the table for a bases-loaded single by Ramiro Pena to break a 1-1 tie. The Cubs offense did little after a first-inning leadoff double by David DeJesus. He scored on an Anthony Rizzo ground out, but the Cubs managed just four more hits the rest of the way. Dan Uggla added an eighth-inning home run off of Hisanori Takahashi.

Samardzija’s day: The Cubs starter was on fire with his fastball and splitter that simply fooled many Braves’ hitters. After a leadoff hit by B.J. Upton, Samardzija struck out the next six batters as he whiffed at least one in every inning. But he struggled in the fifth and sixth and after a controversial hit-by-pitch of Chris Johnson (Samardzija didn’t think the ball hit him) Samardzija gave up the two-run single to Pena. His day was done after 105 pitches. He became just the fourth pitcher in the last 20 years to strike out 13 or more batters in less than six innings and the last Cub to strike out at least 13 since Mark Prior in 2004.

What it means: A potentially solid start to the season ends with a 2-4 week. The one day they actually hit the ball, Saturday, they still lost. On Sunday, Samardzija was very good but Tim Hudson outdueled him even if he didn’t match his strikeout total. The Cubs had some timely hitting this week and some timely pitching, but rarely did they have both in the same game.

What’s next: The Cubs will land in Chicago Sunday night in advance of their home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on Monday. Edwin Jackson (0-1, 3.60) pitches for the Cubs against Brewers' righty Marco Estrada (0-0, 7.20).

ATLANTA -- Here's a quick look at the Cubs' 6-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday:

How it happened: The bullpen blew up on the Cubs in the eighth and ninth innings as Kyuji Fujikawa and Carlos Marmol combined to give up five runs. B.J. Upton homered to lead off the ninth to tie the score at 5-all, then a couple of batters later, Justin Upton ended it with his second home run of the night. The Cubs were up 5-1 with the bases loaded and no one out in the eighth inning but lost the game.

What it means: The end of games have been an adventure, and this time it wasn't just Marmol. Fujikawa had little as well, but Marmol had less. The ending takes away from a great night for starter Carlos Villanueva and the Cubs' offense, the latter of which produced 13 hits, three off their season total.

What's next: The Cubs try to avoid the sweep Sunday when Jeff Samardzija takes the mound.

PITTSBURGH -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day:

How it happened: Anthony Rizzo took the first pitch of the season thrown to him and deposited it over the center field fence for a two-run home run. The Cubs never looked back thanks to Jeff Samardzija, who went eight innings while giving up just two hits and one walk, retiring 14 in a row at one point. He also struck out nine. His off-speed pitches complemented his fastball just as he had hoped coming out of spring training. Starlin Castro had two hits and a stolen base while Nate Schierholtz reached base four times -- in four different ways -- in his Cubs debut with a hit, walk, hit-by-pitch and an error. He also stole a base. Carlos Marmol gave up a run in the ninth and had to be pulled in favor of James Russell and then Kyuji Fujikawa before the Cubs could declare victory -- with the tying runs left on base.

What it means: As if on cue for Opening Day, the Cubs' core guys all came through starting with Samardzija. Maybe the best thing about his performance was after a leadoff walk, and an error by last minute fill-in starter Brent Lillibridge, he got the next three batters easily. That's maturity. It's no surprise when Castro starts out hot, but it was only days ago Rizzo wasn't "feeling it" in Arizona -- he didn't homer all spring -- but one swing later his groove was back. A great start by the Cubs who really matter.

Closer struggles: The best thing to happen to the Pirates was when Marmol entered the game. He nearly walked the first batter, hit the second, gave up a hit to the third and then walked the fourth. It’s not hindsight to say he shouldn't have the closer job. He struggled at the end of spring training and plenty in his Cubs career. Fujikawa got Russell Martin to fly out to center to earn a save in his Cubs debut.

Under the radar: Welington Castillo doubled twice to the opposite field driving in the Cubs third run. By the view from the press box he called a good game as well.

Next: The 1-0 Cubs have Tuesday off before resuming the series Wednesday against the Pirates. Edwin Jackson starts for the Cubs in the 6:05 p.m. CT game.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

The good: Once again Chris Rusin had an effective start. He went 5.1 innings, giving up no runs. His spring ERA is a sparkling 1.93. ... For the third straight game he’s appeared in, Steve Clevenger came off the bench and delivered, this time a run-scoring double in the eighth inning.

The bad: Welington Castillo was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. His average for the spring is just .175 and he’s struck out in a quarter of his at-bats. ... Brent Lillibridge and Starlin Castro had a rare day where neither got a hit, dropping their respective averages to .441 and .406.

What we learned: Rusin solidified his role as the “next guy up” if there is another injury in the starting rotation. He threw well against decent spring lineups and though he walked three on Sunday he used it to his advantage, throwing “effectively wild,” as he put it. He had a solid spring. ... If Castillo struggles in the regular season, Dioner Navarro could see more plate appearances. He can hit from both sides, has been adept behind the plate and has more experience with pitchers. He’s hitting .262 and has shown the same pop with his bat as Castillo. But there is no change in the offing, at the moment. ... Clevenger just might be hitting his way onto the roster. His ability to come off the bench and deliver hasn’t gone un-noticed by manager Dale Sveum.

MESA, Ariz. -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday:

The Good: Most of it came at the plate where every Cubs starter save two had at least a hit in the game, including pitcher Edwin Jackson. He had two himself and drove in a run. ... Scott Hairston hit his third spring home run and David DeJesus raised his average to .386 with two more hits. ... Brent Lillibridge tripled and is hitting .484. ... Alberto Gonzalez and Steve Clevenger both doubled in their lone at-bats as they battle for a roster spot.

The Bad: In front of the team that almost traded for him this past offseason, Carlos Marmol again struggled. He walked two and hit a batter giving up the tying run in the eighth inning on a passed ball. ... Luis Valbuena was 0-for-4 with his spring average dipping to .220. ... Like Jeff Samardzija's latest start, Jackson didn't walk anyone but got hit hard in giving up five runs and eight hits in five innings.