Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Russell Martin had two hits, two runs scored 
and the game-winning sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to help the Pittsburgh 
Pirates  top the  Chicago Cubs,  7-6, in  the opener  of a  three-game set  at 
Wrigley Field. 

Pittsburgh's  led 6-4  through five, but the Cubs tacked on a run in both the 
sixth  and  seventh innings  to tie  it. Pedro  Strop (0-1)  took the hill for 
Chicago  in the top of the eighth and walked a pair before giving way to James 
Russell,  who surrendered a walk to Pedro Alvarez to load the bags for Martin. 
His sacrifice fly to right plated Starling Marte for the final margin. 

"It  was  a fist  fight off the  mound for  us most of  the night. We executed 
extremely  well  in the  first inning  on offense  and kept building innings," 
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. 

Tony  Watson  (2-0) took  the win  after yielding  a run  in the seventh, Mark 
Melancon  worked a  perfect bottom  of the  eighth and  Jason Grilli  shut the 
door in the ninth for his second save of the season. 

Alvarez  and  Travis Ishikawa drove  in two  runs apiece for Pittsburgh, which 
took  2-of-3  from Chicago to  start the season.  Marte scored three times and 
stole two bags in the triumph. 

Emilio  Bonifacio and  Starlin Castro had three hits apiece for the Cubs, with 
the  latter posting his first career multi-homer game. Castro drove in four of 
Chicago's six runs. 

Alvarez  put  Pittsburgh on the board  in the top  of the first with a two-run 
double  to the  gap in  right-center. It  was the  slugger's first  two-bagger 
of the season. 

Alvarez  came around  to score on a  Neil Walker single two batters later, and 
Ishikawa  plated a run with his sacrifice fly. The Bucs led 4-0 before starter 
Charlie Morton took the hill. 

Morton,  who gave up  five runs on eight hits. quickly lost the lead. The Cubs 
got  a  run back  in the second  on Bonifacio's RBI  single to center. Anthony 
Rizzo  and Luis  Valbuena then singled in  the third to put two on for Castro, 
who belted a 1-2 offering over the wall in left to tie it. 

"Had  we laid  down after the first  inning, giving up four runs, I would have 
been extremely disappointed," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. 

Pittsburgh  went  back in front a  half inning later on Andrew McCutchen's RBI 
single  to  center and  padded the  cushion on  an Ishikawa  RBI triple in the 
fifth. 

Edwin Jackson was torched for six runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 frames. 

Chicago  fought back to  briefly tie it. Castro made it 6-5 with his solo shot 
in the sixth off Morton, and Rizzo singled home Bonifacio to knot it at 6-6 in 
the seventh. 

                                   Game Notes 

Pittsburgh  hit just  4-of-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men 
on  base ...  Chicago pitchers walked seven batters ... Bonifacio has at least 
two  hits  in 5-of-7  games this  season and is  hitting 14-for-21 against the 
Pirates in four meetings.