After going 0-5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season and after following behind 3-0, the Cubs at last got some clutch hitting and some breaks and rallied to edge the Buccos 4-3 to avoid a second straight sweep.Xavier Nady’s pinch hit single in the bottom of the 8th broke a 3-3 tie and allowed Sean Marshall to win it in relief of Ted Lilly.After both Lilly and Ross Ohlendorf had perfect first innings, the Pirates,who failed to score in the first against Cubs for the first time this season,got three on the board in the top of the second.With one out,Ryan Doumit doubled into the LF corner and Steve Pearce walked. Bobby Crosby then singled to left to score Doumit and when Alfonso Soriono booted the ball in left field,the runners advanced to second and third.It was Soriano’s fourth error of the season.Ex Cub Ronny Cedeno was intentionally walked to fill the bases and Ohlendorf fanned for the second out,but Lastings Milledge,who fanned to start the game,this time lined a solid two run single to left to make it 3-0. The Cubs got one back when Ohlendorf walked Aramis Ramirez to start the bottom of the second and Marlon Byrd dropped a bloop single over Crosby’s reach at second. Soriano then lined one hard into the teeth of a strong wind blowing in,but Milledge misjudged the ball and if fell in behind him for a double which scored Ramirez and sent Bryd to third. Mike Fontenot lined one that Andrew McCutchen caught in shallow CF as the runners held, Geovany Soto was called out on strikes and Lilly flew to McCutchen.It stayed that way until the Cubs got some lucky bounces in the 7th and tied the game.Ohlendorf walked Mike Fontenot before leaving for Evan Meek who was helped by great catches by McCutchen on Soto’s drive and Ryan Church on a sinking liner by pinch batter Tyler Colvin. Then Kosuke Fukudome hit a bouncer just out of reach of Crosby into RF as Fontento took third,and he scored on a wild pitch.Starlin Castro then reached when Crosby booted his grounder for an error to keep the inning alive as Fukudome took third. Derrek Lee tied it with a single to left.The Cubs winning rally came against former Sox middle reliever D.J.Carrasco when Soriano singled with one out in the 8th, stole second and kept running to third when Carrasco’s delivery got away for a wild pitch.After Soto walked, Nady sent his tie breaking pitch single to right field.

NOTES—Attendance was 40,636…..Marmol earned his 6th save with a perfect ninth inning…..The Cubs host Colorado Monday night with Randy Wells(3-2)opposing Aaron Cook(1-3).

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