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Zambrano leads Cubs to rare win over Marlins

Jul 25, 2008 - 5:24 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Carlos Zambrano did a little bit of everything to lead the Chicago Cubs to a rare victory over the Florida Marlins.

Zambrano pitched seven effective innings, added an RBI double and scored a run to lead the Cubs to a 6-3 triumph over the Marlins on Thursday.

It was Chicago's first win over Florida since April 25, 2006.

Zambrano (11-4) allowed two runs and six hits with six strikeouts. He also had a good day at the plate, sparking Chicago's four-run fifth inning with a double to left that scored Mark DeRosa and tied the game at 2-2.

"Zambrano pitched very well," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "He gave up the two-run homer to (Hanley) Ramirez, but he helped his own cause at the plate with a big RBI."

Derrek Lee drew a walk with the bases loaded to plate Zambrano and put the Cubs ahead, 3-2. Aramis Ramirez capped the uprising with a two-run double.

Scott Olsen (6-5) took the loss for Florida, yielding six runs and seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

""I felt like I had good stuff, and the first four innings were flying by," Olsen said. "Zambrano was pitching his game and I was able to stay with him until they had the big inning. On the pitch where I walked Lee, what can you say, I can't believe he took it."

Florida scored its only runs off Zambrano in the third on a two-run homer by All-Star Hanley Ramirez that opened a 2-0 lead. Olsen singled to center with one out and Ramirez followed with a blast to deep left, his 24th of the season.

With closer Kerry Wood placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to the game, the Cubs turned to Carlos Marmol to get the final four outs Thursday. If his performance was a sign of things to come, Chicago will not be able to welcome Wood back soon enough.

Marmol struck out Josh Willingham to end the eighth but started the ninth by walking the first two batters. With two outs, he issued a free pass to Jorge Cantu to load the bases, but the righthander got Wes Helms swinging on a 3-2 pitch to end the game and record his fourth save of the season.

""It was a good win," Piniella said. "I got a little antsy there in the bottom half of the ninth, but tomorrow morning when we wake up, it's in the win column."

"We had our chances late, but we couldn't put up a crooked number in the eighth or ninth," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Ronny Cedeno and Henry Blanco each hit their second home run of the season for Chicago, which improved to 38-12 at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs were coming off a 2-4 road trip on which they scored just four runs in the losses and 19 in the victories. The slow start out of the All-Star break, coupled with an eight-game winning streak by the Milwaukee Brewers, has trimmed the Chicago's lead in the National League Central Division to one game.

"We are trying hard when we come home, and when we go on the road, we are trying hard. Things haven't gone our way on the road," Zambrano said. "Maybe we can be like the Boston Celtics. They weren't good on the road, but they were great at home."