CINCINNATI — The kid sure knows how to answer a call.
Starlin Castro was awakened with a phone call summoning him to the majors on Friday and arrived in historic style, hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat and driving in a record six runs in the Chicago Cubs' 14-7 victory over Cincinnati.
"The kid — what a debut!" Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "He's got to be ecstatic. He should be."
The 20-year-old became the youngest shortstop in Cubs history when he stepped onto the field. Then, he became a sensation.
His homer in the second inning off Homer Bailey made him only the sixth Cubs player to connect in his first at-bat. No Cub had done it since pitcher Jim Bullinger in 1992.
In the fifth, Castro added a bases-loaded triple, sliding headfirst into the record books with six RBI, the most in a modern-day debut.
The last player to drive in five runs in his debut was Ben Grieve in 1997.
"I didn't believe it," Castro said.
An authenticator from Major League Baseball gathered up his blue jersey and cap, and the lineup card after the game for safekeeping.
Castro was asleep at Class AA Tennessee after a night game when he got a call at 7 a.m. Friday telling him to head for Cincinnati. At first, he didn't believe it.
He soon found himself in the starting lineup, batting eighth.
"Amazing. Unbelievable," said starting pitcher Carlos Silva, the No. 9 hitter in the Cubs' order. "I was hitting behind him, looking at everything he was doing. I was like: 'Wow.' "
Notes
• A judge ruled that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt must pay his estranged wife, Jamie, $637,159 a month while they await an August divorce trial. The trial will include a fight over ownership of the franchise, valued as fourth highest in baseball at $727 million.
• The Twins were rained out of a game home for the first time since 1980. The team moved outdoors to Target Field this year after 28 years at the Metrodome.
• Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg allowed one hit in six scoreless innings for Syracuse in his AAA debut.
• Cleveland activated closer Kerry Wood. He had been out since spring training — his 13th career trip to the disabled list.
• Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte, off to a 4-0 start with a 2.08 ERA, will skip his Monday start because of an elbow problem.
• Giants SS Edgar Renteria and A's RHP Justin Duchscherer were placed on the DL.
• All-Star slugger Nelson Cruz of Texas will begin a rehab assignment Monday and could come off the DL Wednesday.
• A comprehensive registration and drug-testing program by Major League Baseball for unsigned prospects in the Dominican Republic went into effect.
