Astros 7, Cubs 3
Michael Bourn singled home the go-ahead run and Hunter Pence belted a three-run homer during a six-run ninth inning as the visiting Houston Astros rallied for a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
After giving away a 1-0 lead when the Cubs scored three times in the bottom of the eighth, the Astros opened the ninth with three straight hits against Chicago closer Carlos Marmol (1-2), who had allowed just 12 hits all season.
Pinch hitter-Matt Downs tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run double and scored on Bourn's one-out single to center. Pence capped the scoring with his eighth homer.
Darwin Barney and Aramis Ramirez delivered RBI doubles to key the eighth-inning surge for Chicago, which got eight strong innings from starter Carlos Zambrano. The righthander yielded seven hits while striking out seven. The only run he allowed was a leadoff homer by Brett Wallace in the fourth inning.
Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth inning to save it for Fernando Rodriguez (1-0), who retired the only batter he faced in the eighth.
Starter Jordan Lyles scattered five hits over seven-plus innings in his major league debut for Houston, finishing with four strikeouts and no walks.