PITTSBURGH, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Carlos Zambrano gave up an earned run and only two hits in six innings Saturday night as the Chicago Cubs beat Pittsburgh, 5-1.
Chicago’s Alfonso Soriano hit his 23rd homer this season, a two-run blast in the fifth. Jacque Jones had two hits and three RBI, and Derek Lee hit an RBI single in the first.
No player had more than one of the eight hits as the Cubs stopped a two-game skid.
The hard-throwing Zambrano (15-12) walked five batters and fanned eight in his first winning start since he signed a $91.5 million, five-year contract extension through the 2012 season last month.
Pittsburgh’s lone run came on Jack Wilson’s seventh-inning sacrifice fly. Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth both had one hit for the Pirates, who have split their last four games.
The losing pitcher was starter Ian Snell (9-12).
