Chicago, IL -- (Sports Network) - Nate McLouth's two-run homer in the ninth inning was the difference, as the Pittsburgh Pirates held on to edge the Chicago Cubs, 7-6, in the second of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

Zach Duke gave up eight hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh, but did not factor into the decision. Damaso Marte (3-0) pitched a perfect eighth to pick up the win.

McLouth finished 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for the Pirates, who had lost 10 straight meetings with the Cubs, dating back to last season. Freddy Sanchez also had three hits and scored two runs, while Adam LaRoche went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a run batted in for Pittsburgh, which has won nine of its last 12 games overall.

Starter Carlos Zambrano lasted only four-plus innings for the Cubs and was tagged for five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Carlos Marmol (1-1) surrendered the two runs in the ninth to absorb the loss.

"Obviously it was not a good game," a disappointed Zambrano said. "There's nothing you can do about it. As a starting pitcher, you have 34, 35 starts, and there are some days you will feel like this. You have to keep your head up and move on."

Alfonso Soriano hit a pair of home runs for the second consecutive game and finished a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate. Soriano hit two solo shots and added an RBI single for Chicago, which fell to 7-2 on a season-high, 10- game homestand.

Ryan Theriot and Mark DeRosa each had two hits, with Theriot driving in a run.

With the score locked at five in the top of the ninth, McLouth followed a one- out single by Sanchez by smashing his 12th home run of the season.

"Against a guy (Marmol) like that who has as electric stuff as that, you don't try to do too much," McLouth stated. "You try to put the ball in play. You happen to get a fastball -- the first one he threw that inning. I didn't miss it."

Chicago threatened in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Capps sent down the first two batters, but Soriano hit a ground-rule double and then Theriot's single knocked him in to narrow the deficit to 7-6. Capps got Derrek Lee to fly out on the next pitch to notch his 10th save of the season.

The Pirates grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, as Doug Mientkiewicz drew a one-out walk, took second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Brian Bixler. Chicago then put up a three-spot in the next frame to pull ahead, 3-1.

A double by Geovany Soto and a single by DeRosa put runners on the corners for Reed Johnson, who singled to left. After Zambrano popped out to Duke, the red- hot Soriano lined a single to center which scored one run and Jason Bay's misplay allowed Johnson to score.

Soto worked a two-out walk in the third and tried to score on DeRosa's double, but was thrown out at the plate.

In the fourth, LaRoche led off with double, moved to third when Xavier Nady grounded out and then came home on a single by Mientkiewicz, but the Cubs got the run back in the home half on Soriano's ninth home run of the season.

Pittsburgh lit up Zambrano for three runs in the fifth. A leadoff walk to Duke and back-to-back singles by Sanchez and McLouth plated a run. Bay was given a free pass to load the bases and LaRoche followed with a single to center, which tied the game at four and chased Zambrano.

Michael Wuertz took over, and Nady's sacrifice fly gave the Pirates the lead. Lee hauled in a line drive off the bat of Mientkiewicz and doubled off LaRoche to close out the inning.

With his pitch count over triple digits and Pittsburgh nursing a 5-4 lead, Duke was lifted with one out in the seventh for Tyler Yates, who had the unenviable task of facing Soriano. Soriano hammered the right-hander's 1-0 fastball over the wall in left field, tying the game at five.

Game Notes

Soriano has clubbed seven home runs in his last six games...Both teams left six men on base...Pittsburgh's Phil Dumatrait (1-1) and Chicago's Jason Marquis (1-3) are scheduled to start the rubber match on Sunday...Attendance was 41,686.