Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, right, forces out Atlanta Braves’ Dan Uggla at second base during the ninth inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Chicago. Atlanta Braves’ Chipper Jones was safe at first. The Cubs won 3-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO – Alfonso Soriano homered, Randy Wells pitched effectively into the seventh and the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Wells (5-4) held the Braves to one run and two hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out six and improving to 4-1 in his career against Atlanta.
Carlos Marmol got the last three outs and joined Lee Smith as the only Cubs relievers to post consecutive 30-save seasons.
Soriano’s two-run shot fueled Chicago’s three-run rally in the second. He also walked and was hit by a pitch. Aramis Ramirez added a single and two walks, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.
Chipper Jones and Alex Gonzalez hit a solo homers for Atlanta, which managed just three hits in the game.