Cubs 6, Pirates 3
Randy Wells pitched six strong innings and the Chicago Cubs avoided a weekend sweep by holding on for a 6-3 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.
Wells (7-4) threw 114 pitches but managed to escape trouble at nearly every turn, scattering seven hits and two walks and exiting with a 5-1 lead.
The Pirates cut the deficit to two when Neil Walker belted a two-run homer in the eighth inning against Jeff Samardzija. Marlon Byrd tacked on an RBI single in the bottom of the frame and Sean Marshall worked around a one-out base hit in the ninth to secure his fourth save of the season.
The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on a run-scoring infield single by Starlin Castro, then added a pair of runs in the fifth against Charlie Morton (9-8).
Bryan LaHair, who was recently called up from Triple-A Iowa, highlighted his 2011 debut with an RBI single in the sixth inning to give Chicago a 5-1 cushion.
Morton surrendered eight hits and walked five over just 4 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh pitchers issued a total of nine walks to the Cubs, who came in with fewer free passes than any team in the majors.