Pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot had the tiebreaking RBI single in the 10th inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Texas 5-4 on Saturday night, ending the Rangers' five-game winning streak.
Darren O'Day (1-2) gave up hits to all three batters he faced in the 10th, when Tyler Colvin had a leadoff double before Kosuke Fukudome and Fontenot both had singles to right to make it 4-3. Another run scored on Derrek Lee's grounder with the bases loaded.
Sean Marshall (4-1) pitched around Josh Hamilton's double after relieving starter Randy Wells with one out in the ninth. Carlos Marmol worked the 10th for eighth save in 10 chances despite giving up an RBI single to Ian Kinsler.
Texas lost for the first time in its homestand that followed being swept in three games at Toronto last weekend, ending what was the longest active winning streak in the majors. The AL West-leading Rangers had won seven in a row at home.
Hamilton greeted Marshall with a towering popup that dropped behind shortstop Starlin Castro and out of the reach of diving center fielder Marlon Byrd. Nelson Cruz, who had already homered and driven in two runs, was then intentionally walked before a flyball and a strikeout ended the threat.
Wells left after Vladimir Guerrero's inning-starting groundout. The Cubs right-hander struck out six but remained winless in four May starts after going 3-0 in April.
The 20-year-old Castro, the youngest shortstop ever for the Cubs, hit a solo homer that barely cleared the wall in the third and made it 3-1 against Derek Holland. It was Castro's second homer of the season.
Byrd led off the second reaching on rookie first baseman Justin Smoak's fielding error, then advanced to second on Holland's errant pickoff attempt. Alfonso Soriano, who like Byrd used to play in Texas, then hit a two-run homer.
Guerrero and Cruz hit solo home runs in the Rangers fourth to tie the game at 3.
After crossing home plate with his 10th homer, Guerrero stopped and shared a few words and a laugh with Cruz waiting in the on-deck circle before Hamilton grounded out. Cruz then hit his ninth homer, a 427-foot blast that landed beyond the Rangers bullpen in right-center field.
The Texas second began with consecutive singles by Guerrero, Hamilton and Cruz that pushed in a run before Wells got a strikeout and a double play.
Holland, who had won his first two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, needed 103 pitches to get through six innings. The 23-year-old left-hander struck out five and walked two.
NOTES: It was the seventh extra-inning game of the season for Texas, matching Boston for the most in the majors. The Rangers are 4-3 in those games. ... Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez was back in the lineup, serving as the DH after being held out of the starting lineup the previous two games due to a sore left thumb. He 0 for 5 with four strikeouts. ... When Ryan Theriot tried a sacrifice bunt in the Cubs eighth, C Max Ramirez instead fired a shot to second to get out the lead runner. Theriot then stole second and took a knee to the side of the head from SS Elvis Andrus who had to leap to grab the high throw. Theriot was OK and left stranded when Lee grounded out. ... The crowd of 46,180 was the largest at home for the Rangers since the season opener.
