A victory at last!
CHICAGO — Looking to end a long road losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates were in the perfect place Monday night: Wrigley Field.
Paul Maholm pitched a season-high eight innings, Jose Tabata hit a go-ahead double in the ninth and Pittsburgh ended a 17-game skid away from home with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.
The last time the Pirates won on the road was May 25 in a 2-1 victory at Cincinnati. It was their third win in 21 games overall.
The Cubs, in the middle of their own turmoil, have been handled all season by the worst team in the National League. They dropped to 2-8 against Pittsburgh this season and are 10 games below .500.
"It always feels good to get a win," Ryan Doumit said. "We've been on a roll against these guys, especially here at this field. It's been a long road trip so far, so to get off the schneid feels good."
Maholm (5-6) allowed one run and seven hits. He did not walk a batter.
Octavio Dotel hit Aramis Ramirez with a pitch leading off the ninth but rebounded for his 15th save in 18 chances.
Before the game, Carlos Zambrano was placed on the restricted list and the Cubs expect to be without the hot-tempered pitcher until at least the All-Star break.
Zambrano has been suspended by the team without pay for the past three games, after he threw a tirade in the dugout Friday that led to a verbal confrontation with teammate Derrek Lee.
On an unseasonably cool summer night with the wind blowing in at Wrigley, both teams struggled to get anything going until Doumit led off the ninth with a single off reliever Andrew Cashner (0-2).
After a sacrifice bunt by Ronny Cedeno, Cashner walked pinch-hitter Ryan Church. Cubs manager Lou Piniella brought in Carlos Marmol, who was greeted by Tabata with a double over the head of center fielder Tyler Colvin, who moved from right field after a double switch.
Doumit, who didn't slide at the plate, just beat the throw to score the go-ahead run.
"I kind of got caught up. I wasn't sure whether to tag right there. With the wind swirling in Chicago you never know what's going on, so I kind of got caught in the middle," Doumit said. "As I was rounding third I kind of saw Geovany Soto gearing up like he might be catching the ball, so I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Whether I would try to hit him or slide and I kind of got caught in between. Fortunately I got there first."
With Zambrano suspended, the Cubs were already down a pitcher before reliever John Grabow left the game in the seventh with a sprained left knee.
Pirates right fielder Lastings Milledge and second baseman Bobby Crosby collided while chasing Soto's bloop double in the second inning. Crosby was checked by a trainer, but stayed in the game temporarily before leaving in the bottom of the third with concussion-like symptoms. He is day to day.
Starlin Castro followed with a routine grounder to third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who tried to throw out Ramirez at the plate. But the poor, one-hop throw got by Doumit, allowing Ramirez to score.
With two outs in the third, Andrew McCutchen hit a liner toward Colvin in right. Colvin had a chance to make the catch but took a bad route as the ball got by him and rolled to the wall. Tabata scored on the triple to tie it at 1.
Marlon Byrd made a diving catch in center on Garrett Jones' drive, stranding McCutchen.
The Cubs had a chance to take the lead in the seventh with first and third and one out, but Ryan Theriot ended the inning with a double play.
