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Lee homers as Cubs overcome four-run first by Nationals

May 5, 2007 - 1:54 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Not even some early struggles by Carlos Zambrano could slow down the Chicago Cubs.

Derrek Lee hit a two-run homer and Cliff Floyd added an RBI single as Chicago captured its third straight win with a 6-4 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Alfonso Soriano added two hits, including an RBI double, for the Cubs, who captured their sixth win in their last seven games despite spotting the Nationals a four-run lead after the first inning.

"I think that's the best game we played at home all year," Soriano said. "Coming back after being down four runs in the first was big. It was nice to do that for Carlos."

The early outburst by Washington continued a shaky start for Zambrano (3-2), who gave up two or more runs in the opening frame for the third time in seven starts this season.

Coming off an impressive showing where he yielded a run and seven hits in an 8-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday, Zambrano gave up three extra-base hits and walked two in the first.

"The first two innings my arm (angle) was down," Zambrano said. "I motivated myself to get it up. I just threw one bad inning. How can you be frustrated by that? Besides, I shut them down for five innings."

Felipe Lopez started off the game with his first triple of the year and scored on a groundout to second base by Ronnie Belliard. Ryan Zimmerman worked a six-pitch walk and Ryan Church doubled to put two runners in scoring position.

Taking the first pitch from Zambrano for a ball, Austin Kearns blasted the next offering into the center field bleachers for his third home run of the season and a 4-0 lead.

Although Zambrano also issued a two-out walk to Brian Schneider in the frame, Zambrano settled down thereafter. The righthander yielded three more hits and walk over the next five innings to enable Chicago to fight back.

Overall, Zambrano finished with four runs, six hits and three walks allowed in six innings to improve to 4-2 in nine career appearances against the franchise formerly known as the Montreal Expos.

"We've given Carlos really nice run support all year," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Sooner or later he's going to get to the point where he's really, really sharp. To his credit, he hung in there for five more and got himself a win."

The National League's top hitter coming in, Lee hit a two-run homer off Jason Bergmann (0-3) in the third to begin the Cubs' comeback.

"The pitch to Lee was a fastball inside," Bergmann said. "It was the pitch we wanted. He just happened to be on it. You can't miss at all with great hitters like Lee."

The second home run of the season continued a torrid stretch for Lee, who is hitting .455 (30-for-66) with 13 RBI in his last 16 games. The first baseman also recorded his ninth consecutive game with an extra-base hit, a franchise record.

Also singling in the first, Lee has now reached base in each of the first 27 games this season, one shy of tying Sammy Sosa's team record set in 1998.

"I guess I'm doing my job, but we're not worried about streaks in here," Lee said. "I feel good at the plate. I'm just trying to get good at-bats. Things have been falling into place."

Aramis Ramirez followed Lee's blast with a double in the third and scored when the third baseman Zimmerman unleashed a wild throw to first base after backhanding a hard grounder by Michael Barrett, slicing the deficit to 4-3.

Chicago took the lead in the fourth when Soriano ripped a run-scoring double with two outs and scored on Floyd's single to right field off Bergmann directly after.

"He didn't want to make a mistake and I know that. (At) 0-2, he's not trying to mess around," Floyd said. "In that position, I want to stay back and drive a ball, and I was able to do that."

The Nationals did threaten in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs after Ryan Church drew a four-pitch walk from Will Ohman. However, Bob Howry came on and ended the threat, getting Kearns to ground out into a fielder's choice.

"We had some situations where we definitely could have put some more runs on the board," Church said. "We got those four runs early, but failed to capitalize on our other chances. It's unfortunate."

Howry also worked a perfect eighth and the Cubs added added an insurance run in the bottom half on rookie Felix Pie's RBI single.

In the ninth, closer Ryan Dempster struck out two in the ninth for his sixth save.

Lopez also doubled to finish with a pair of extra-base hits for Washington, which absorbed its third straight loss and fifth in its last six games.

Bergmann finished with five runs - four earned - and eight hits allowed in six innings to drop his fifth straight decision, dating to last season.

"We just haven't learned how to win without having an outstanding performance by the pitcher," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "In this game, the good teams learn how to win when you struggle at the plate or on the mound."