Zambrano winning pitcher as Cubs beat St. Louis 3-2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Carlos Zambrano probably couldn’t have picked a better time for his first win since his month-long team suspension.

Zambrano earned his first win since June 20, Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee homered and the reeling Cubs beat the Cardinals 3-2 in St. Louis Saturday.

Chicago won for just the third time in its last 17 games, evening the weekend series, while the NL Central-leading Cardinals’ edge over second-place Cincinnati dwindled to a half-game with their second loss in eight games.

Zambrano (4-6), starting for the second time since his suspension for a dugout outburst against the White Sox June 25, pitched 5 2-3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out three batters and walked two, beating longtime Cubs-killer Chris Carpenter, who lost to Chicago for the first time since Aug. 10, 2008.

The Cubs (49-68) took the lead for good in the second inning, when Ramirez homered in his first at-bat since missing three games with sore ribs and Koyie Hill doubled home Marlon Byrd, who had doubled, to go on top 2-1.

Lee doubled the lead with his second homer in as many games, a solo shot to right with two outs in the third.

The Cardinals got that run back in the sixth. Skip Schumaker singled with two outs, took second base on a Zambrano wild pitch and scored on pinch hitter Randy Winn’s single, evading Hill’s tag at home to make it 3-2.

St. Louis (65-50) appeared to be in good shape to begin the bottom of the ninth after Aaron Miles led off with an infield single and moved to second on Ramirez’s throwing error.

But Cubs closer Carlos Marmol got Brendan Ryan to pop up a bunt to Hill – leading to loud booing from the St. Louis faithful – then induced a foul popout from Felipe Lopez and struck out Allen Craig on three pitches, leaving the dangerous Albert Pujols stranded on deck, to end it.

The Cardinals had taken a one-run first-inning lead on Matt Holliday’s sacrifice fly to score Jon Jay, who had singled.

Ramirez went 2-for-4. Marmol posted his 20th save.

Jay and Pujols each had two hits for the Cardinals. Carpenter (13-4) yielded three runs on six hits, with three strikeouts.

St. Louis manager Tony La Russa missed his second straight game, serving out his suspension for his role in the Cardinals’ brawl with the Reds during an 8-4 win Tuesday, for which Carpenter and Yadier Molina were fined.

NOTES: The Cubs won a one-run game for the first time in nine tries. … Zambrano is 6-1 in 11 starts at St. Louis. … The Cubs’ second inning marked the first time Carpenter yielded four extra-base hits in one inning since Sept. 28, 2006 against San Diego. … Carpenter had won four straight decisions and falls to 10-4 all-time against the Cubs. … St. Louis had scored at least four runs in every game in August coming in. … With a win Sunday, the Cardinals can claim their fourth straight home series win over Chicago. The Cubs with a victory can win just their second Central series in their last 15 tries, but their second straight over St. Louis after taking two of three at home July 23-25. … The Cardinals currently lead Cincinnati by a half-game and fifth-place Chicago by 17 games. The Reds host the Marlins Saturday night and can tie for first place in the Central with a win. … The Cubs’ Ryan Dempster and St. Louis’ Kyle Lohse will pitch the rubber game Sunday afternoon.

BOX SCORE

Photo above: Carlos Zambrano pitches Saturday. (Bill Boyce/AP)

Video credit – FOX