Cubs 5, Pirates 3

Hero: Kosuke Fukudome continued to close strong, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, a walk, a stolen base, and an RBI. Fukudome, who is at .281 for the season, is 28-for-77 (.364) with eight doubles, four home runs, and 13 RBI since the All-Star break.

Goat: Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless final 1 1/3 to earn his 25th save of the season, but walked three. Marmol allowed no hits and struck out three, The 27-year-old right-hander has walked 45 and struck out 114 in 63 1/3 innings.

Key Play: Fukudome's one out RBI double in the bottom of the third off Pittsburgh starter James McDonald (2-5) gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead and put the Cubs ahead to stay.

Comments: Cubs starter Tom Gorzelanny left the game with two outs in the top of the third after he was hit on the pitching hand by a Jose Tabata line drive. X-rays of Gorzelanny's hand were inconclusive. He will undergo more tests Thursday after the swelling subsides.

Rookie Thomas Diamond (1-3) relieved Gorzelanny and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Neil Walker. He allowed two runs (both earned) on two hits in 1 2/3 innings while striking out three and walking one en route to his first major league victory. As a reliever (6 appearances), Diamond has a 2.34 ERA. He has allowed just three hits in 7 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

Starlin Castro, who ranks third in the National League batting race with a .317 average, went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs. Castro also booted a Ronny Cedeno grounder in the eighth for his 22nd error of the season.

The Cubs claimed their first series victory in five tries against the last-place Pirates (44-89) and claimed a home series victory for the first time since they took two of three from St. Louis, July 23-25.

Next: After an off day Thursday, Randy Wells (6-12, 4.50 ERA) starts for the Cubs (57-77) Friday (CSN, 1:20 p.m.) when they open a three-game series against the New York Mets (65-67), who have fallen from contention with a 17-28 record since the All-Star break.

Wells finished a rough August (1-4, 5.91 ERA) with a victory in his last outing, at Cincinnati, on Saturday.

Knuckleballer R.A, Dickey (9-5, 2.57), who ranks seventh in the NL in ERA, will start for the Mets.