CHICAGO – Xavier Nady’s three-run double capped a four-run first inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs 5-4.

Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano left the game after 1 1-3 innings with lower back stiffness. It was the shortest outing of his career. After a meeting with the trainer on the mound, Zambrano (14-6) left the game trailing 5-0. He gave up four earned runs, four hits and four walks and lost for the first time in five starts.

The Pirates have won four straight against the Cubs in a battle of the NL’s two worst teams, and are just a half-game back of the Cubs for fifth place in the NL Central.

Paul Maholm (7-10) gave up four runs, three hits and three walks in five innings, retiring 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced. He has won three straight decisions.

John Grabow, Damaso Marte and Matt Capps kept the Cubs scoreless in the next three innings and Salomon Torres got his second save in the last three days. He previously hadn’t picked up a save since Oct. 2, 2005.

Zambrano struggled with his control from the beginning, walking the first two batters before missing a tag on Freddy Sanchez after his bunt. Jason Bay followed with an RBI bloop single and Nady cleared the bases with a double to right-center.

Zambrano walked Maholm on five pitches to start the second and gave up a single to Chris Duffy. One out later, Sanchez grounded to Ronny Cedeno and his throw home was wide, allowing Maholm to score.

Ryan Theriot had a three-run double in the second as the Cubs cut the lead to one. Maholm loaded the bases when he hit rookie Scott Moore in his first major league at-bat. Juan Pierre had an RBI single to start the four-run inning.

Notes: The Cubs activated RHP Carlos Marmol from the 15-day DL and recalled INF Moore from Triple-A. Marmol, who had been starting before going down with shoulder fatigue, will be used out of the bullpen. … Cubs C Michael Barrett was still in the hospital Monday morning for a follow-up procedure after having surgery Saturday night to stop bleeding in his scrotum. He is on the 15-day DL after getting hit in the groin area by a foul tip on Saturday. … Pirates SS Jack Wilson missed his 10th straight game with symptoms from an inner ear infection. … The Cubs still aren’t sure when RHP Wade Miller will make his season debut. Acquired in the off-season after shoulder surgery, Miller has been struggling to find “zip” in his pitches, Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. … Zambrano’s previous shortest outing was 1 2-3 innings on June 22, 2005.

AP-ES-09-04-06 1729EDT