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Wells, Cubs edge streaking Braves

Aug 25, 2011 - 5:06 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Randy Wells pitched into the seventh inning and drove in the decisive run for the Cubs, who held on for a 3-2 victory against the Braves at Wrigley Field.

Wells (5-4) gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out six. He was backed by a two-run homer by Alfonso Soriano, and the Chicago bullpen didn't give up the lead.

The narrow win snapped the Cubs' three-game slide, which included losses in the first two of this four-game set.

"I had a pretty good chanegup and was able to keep guys off balance," Wells said. "This win feels pretty good."

The Braves had their six-game win streak broken despite starter Derek Lowe (8-12) giving up just three runs in seven innings.

"You look at his line and it might have been one of his best starts. He was really, really good," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Lowe.

Only two of the runs were earned, and all of them came in the second inning, which Tyler Colvin began with a walk. Lowe then threw a low pitch over the middle of the plate to Soriano, who slugged it over the center field wall for a 2-0 lead.

Chicago scored the decisive run thanks to an error. The miscue by second baseman Dan Uggla allowed Tony Campana to reach base. Campana stole second and took third on a balk before scoring on Wells' soft grounder to second.

Wells was perfect through the first 3 1/3 innings and didn't face a big jam. He didn't give up a run until Chipper Jones crushed his hanging breaking ball to center field with two away in the seventh.

Jones was the final batter Wells faced, as Sean Marshall came in to finish the inning. Kerry Wood gave up a leadoff blast to Alex Gonzalez in the eighth, but worked the rest of the inning without giving up a run.

Carlos Marmol made the ninth eventful by hitting Uggla, the leadoff batter. But he rebounded to strike out Freddie Freeman, retired Jones on a fielder's choice, and caught Jason Heyward looking at a third strike to end the game.

Game Notes

Lowe allowed four hits, walked four and struck out six...Marmol picked up his 30th save of the season. He had 38 last year, and is just the second Cubs closer to post consecutive 30-save seasons. Lee Smith had four in a row from 1984-87...Jones' homer was the 449th of his career.