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Maholm guides Cubs over Marlins

Jul 19, 2012 - 11:36 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Paul Maholm tossed eight innings of one-run ball to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Miami Marlins, 4-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

Maholm (8-6) scattered five hits and a walk while striking out four to record his fourth straight winning decision.

"You work fast, you mix speeds, you keep the ball down and you put your defense to work and they make plays," said Maholm. "I'm all about trying to get it over with quick."

Carlos Marmol allowed a run in the ninth but still earned his 11th save of the year.

Alfonso Soriano homered and Reed Johnson knocked in a pair of runs for the Cubs, who have won six of their last seven games.

Mark Buehrle (9-9) allowed four runs on six hits and a walk over five innings to snap a personal four-start win streak.

"Today was one of those days where luckily I went out there for five innings because from the bullpen it just seemed like I had nothing working," Buehrle said. "It was just one of those games where you're not going to have your stuff and you turn the page and get ready for your next start."

Emilio Bonifacio and Greg Dobbs each knocked in a run for Miami, which has dropped three of its last five.

The Cubs failed to push across a run in the fourth inning when Johnson led off the frame with a double and was later tagged out in a rundown between third and home on an Anthony Rizzo grounder to second, but they were able to open the scoring in the fifth with Soriano's leadoff blast to left field.

Chicago then load the bases with a pair of singles by Jeff Baker and Darwin Barney around a Geovany Soto walk before Luis Valbuena lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center field to plate Baker.

Soto and Barney also moved up a bag on the play and both came home on Johnson's two-out single to left, giving the Cubs a 4-0 lead.

Miami answered with a run in the sixth when Donovan Solano hit a leadoff triple into the right-field corner and scored two batters later on Bonifacio's groundout to Maholm.

However, Maholm would only allow one more baserunner to advance past first base as Austin Kearns was hit by a pitch with two outs in the seventh and moved up to second on Omar Infante's single.

But John Buck flied out to right field to end the inning and Maholm retired the side in order in the eighth to end his outing.

Carlos Lee worked a walk off Marmol to start the ninth and after advancing to second on defensive indifference during back-to-back strikeouts by Justin Ruggiano and Hanley Ramirez, Dobbs' pinch-hit single scored Lee and brought the tying run to the plate.

Infante, though, grounded out to end the game.

Game Notes

Maholm improved to 4-5 in nine career starts against the Marlins...Buehrle fell to 6-5 in 15 career meetings with Chicago...Chicago is now 24-21 at home this season, while Miami is 20-24 on the road...The Marlins were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base...The Cubs went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded three.