Cubs 5, Dodgers 1
Marlon Byrd belted a three-run homer and Carlos Zambrano tossed eight strong innings as the Chicago Cubs cruised to a 5-1 road victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon.
Riding a 29-game hitting streak, Andre Ethier sat out the contest due to an inflamed left elbow. The Los Angeles outfielder sits two games shy of the franchise record set by Willie Davis in 1969.
Geovany Soto and Carlos Pena launched solo shots in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to help Chicago finish its seven-game road trip with a 4-3 mark.
After Pena led off the sixth with his second homer of the season, Zambrano and National League Rookie of the Month recipient Darwin Barney singled to put runners on first and second base. Byrd then stepped to the plate and drilled his first homer of the campaign over the left-field wall to give the Cubs a 5-0 lead.
The offensive outburst was more than enough for Zambrano (4-1), who allowed one run and five hits to secure his second straight win. Sean Marshall struck out two in the ninth inning to preserve the victory.
Ted Lilly (2-3) pitched well against his former team before he was victimized by the long ball. The 35-year-old lefthander permitted five runs and eight hits in six innings.
Jay Gibbons plated Tony Gwynn Jr. in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly for the Dodgers.