PITTSBURGH -- Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro knows he has been criticized over his five-year career for his lapses on defense, and he wants it to come to an end.
"I have good talent to be a good shortstop," Castro said after the Cubs' 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. "I don't want to be no joke anymore."
Castro made seven assists in the game, many with a high level of difficulty. He made a diving stop up the middle on the leadoff man, Josh Harrison, in the first inning, and continued on to have one of his better defensive games.
"I saw something out of him tonight I hadn't seen in a while," starter Jake Arrieta said. "He seemed to have more of an aggressive nature about him tonight."
No one is quite sure why Castro has raised his game on defense this season -- perhaps he is being pushed by prospect Addison Russell, whom the Cubs are calling up to play second base. Castro started out shaky in spring training, but he has made just one error so far and he's playing with that aggression Arrieta speaks of.
"Try to make every play aggressive," Castro said. "If it [an error] happens, it happens."
Castro credits new manager Joe Maddon for encouraging him to be better in the field. Maddon thinks Castro can be a Gold Glove shortstop and reminds him of that fact often.
"How about Castro at shortstop?" Maddon asked rhetorically after Monday's game. "Right now I don't know if you guys have seen him play a better shortstop. I mean I'm really impressed with what he's doing out there."
Castro is a three-time All-Star who has always made the spectacular play but has been prone to mistakes on the routine chances. That has been happening less and less, yet the great plays are still there.
"Sometimes the errors I make are because I don't have the confidence and I stay back on the ball," Castro said. "Now I stay aggressive."
One theory is that Castro is no longer the focal point of the Cubs so he can relax and just play the game. On Monday, Arrieta retired 16 batters in a row at one point, and the Cubs' offense -- led by rising sluggers Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler -- came alive late in the game. Soler and Bryant each got on base four times. And now Russell will join the group.
"[Castro] knows he's good and he knows he can better," Rizzo said. "He's a good shortstop. It's just about every pitch. It's nice to have more potential to get there."
A new pregame routine has helped, according to the shortstop, as has the confidence given to him by his manager.
"It's really awesome how they talk to us," Castro said. "[The Gold Glove is] the most impressive thing for [Maddon]. The next year you're in front of home plate, they give you a Gold Glove.
"Nobody wants to make errors. The confidence they give us is the most important."