Marlins 4, Cubs 3
Henderson Alvarez pitched six strong innings before leaving with a tight right hamstring and had a three-run homer among his two hits as visiting Miami claimed the opener of a three-game series.
Alvarez (3-3) settled in after allowing four straight singles and a sacrifice fly to start the three-run first inning and allowed only three more hits, earning his first win since July 31. The 23-year-old right-hander went out to warm up for the seventh but was lifted after experiencing tightness in his hamstring.
The Marlins did all their damage against Travis Wood on a pair of early home runs, as rookie Christian Yelich blasted a one-out solo shot to right-center in the first and Alvarez jumped on a first-pitch fastball for his first career home run in the second. Wood (8-11) allowed four runs on nine hits over seven innings.
The Cubs had the first two men on in the fourth, but Darwin Barney rolled into a double play and Wood flew out to end the threat. Anthony Rizzo hit into an inning-ending double play in the fifth, and the Marlins turned another twin-killing to end the game as Steve Cishek earned his 29th save.
Yelich went 3-for-4 and Justin Ruggiano added a pair of hits for the Marlins. Dioner Navarro and Ryan Sweeney each had two hits for the Cubs, who have lost 18 of their last 23 home games.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Former Cubs star Andre Dawson, now a coach with the Marlins, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and hockey legend Bobby Hull sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch. … Alvarez's home run was the first by a Marlins pitcher since longtime Cubs P Carlos Zambrano's on June 3, 2012, against Philadelphia. … Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton (ankle) was back in the lineup after leaving Sunday's game in the seventh, and Ruggiano returned to the lineup after sitting out Sunday with a sore calf.