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Alvarez homers and earns win as Marlins best Cubs

Sep 3, 2013 - 3:42 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Henderson Alvarez hit a three-run homer and also tossed six strong innings to guide the Miami Marlins to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

"He hit that ball good, he crushed that ball," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said of Alvarez's homer.

Alvarez (3-3), who allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings, gave Miami a 4-3 lead with his three run blast in the second inning. The right- hander went on to limit the Cubs to just three more hits before he left the game with hamstring tightness following the sixth inning.

Christian Yelich added a solo homer for the Marlins, who have won two straight on the heels of a six-game losing skid.

Steve Cishek worked a scoreless ninth to notch his 29th save of the season.

Anthony Rizzo, Dioner Navarro and Nate Schierholtz drove in one run apiece for the Cubs, who had won two straight.

Travis Wood (8-11) was pegged with the loss after giving up all four runs on nine hits over seven innings.

"It was kind of a funny outing. He couldn't get the left-handed hitter out in their lineup and he couldn't get the pitcher out," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said of Wood.

Yelich smoked a solo homer to right-center in the first, but the Cubs answered back with a three-run home half to take the lead.

Starlin Castro and Luis Valbuena led off with back-to-back singles before Rizzo ripped a base hit to center to score the former. Navarro followed with a single deep in the hole on the right side to plate Valbuena and Schierholtz capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to center to bring Rizzo around.

Ed Lucas led off the second with a double and Jeff Mathis singled to put runners on the corners for Alvarez, who crushed his first career homer over the wall in left-center to give the Marlins a lead they would never relinquish.

Game Notes

Alvarez earned his first win since July 31 ... Alvarez is batting .368 (7- for-19) with six RBI ... The Cubs were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position.