• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Alvarez gives Pirates series in Chicago

Apr 3, 2011 - 11:31 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Pedro Alvarez's two-run infield single in the top of the ninth lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Chicago Cubs, 5-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Alvarez finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored for the Pirates, who won just four road series all of last season. Two of them, though, came in Chicago.

Ross Ohlendorf, who was just 1-11 last year, gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings. He also walked four batters. Jeff Karstens (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning to get the win.

Alfonso Soriano hit a solo homer for the Cubs, who got a two-run double from Carlos Pena.

"I don't want to let the end result take away from the good things," Pena said.

Matt Garza gave up three runs on 12 hits over seven full frames in his Cubs debut. He also had 12 strikeouts and no walks. Garza was acquired from the Rays as part of an eight-player trade in January. He was 15-10 with a 3.91 earned-run average in 33 games for the Rays last season, including a no-hitter on July 26.

Holding a 4-3 lead, Chicago brought on Carlos Marmol (0-1) to close out the game in the top of ninth. Marmol ran into trouble quickly, walking Garrett Jones and giving up a single to Neil Walker. Lyle Overbay grounded out to move the runners up a base. Alvarez hit a grounder past a diving Marmol and to shortstop Starlin Castro, who threw to first. His throw was low and off the mark, which allowed the tying and eventual winning run to score.

"Good piece of hitting by Pedro to just put the ball in play," Walker said.

The Cubs came close to tying the game in the home portion of the ninth. Joel Hanrahan gave up a one-out single to Castro. Darwin Barney then hit a grounder to shortstop Ronny Cedeno, whose throw to second sailed into right field. The error put runners on the corners. But Hanrahan got Marlon Byrd to ground into a double play for his second save of the season.

The Pirates, who had 16 hits in the game, accumulated many hits over the first few innings, but had little to show for it. Cedeno and Alvarez hit RBI singles in the second and third, respectively, to give Pittsburgh an early 2-0 edge.

But Chicago got both runs back in the fourth. Barney, Byrd and Aramis Ramirez all singled to load the bases with nobody out. Pena then drove in two runs with a double to right.

Each team scored once in the fifth. Overbay had an RBI single in the top half for the Pirates, while Barney had a sac fly in the bottom half.

Soriano broke the 3-3 tie with a solo shot to left-center in the sixth.

Kerry Wood took over on the mound for the Cubs in the eighth and loaded the bases with one out. Jose Tabata flied out to right fielder Tyler Colvin, whose strong throw home was good enough to get the runner at the plate.

Game Notes

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen was scratched from the lineup because of a stiff neck...Walker has hit safely in all 12 of his career games against the Cubs...Garza made his first-ever start against the Pirates...Pittsburgh left 10 men on base.