Pitching 7 2-3 innings, Zambrano (12-5) won his fourth decision in a row overall, though he failed for the first time in 13 starts to allow three or fewer runs. He gave up five runs and five hits, striking out nine and walking four.
"That was fun," Zambrano said. "I wasn't playing like we were trying to win the world championship or the World Cup ... just take it easy."
The Pirates are two losses from a 13th consecutive losing season in Major League Baseball. Chicago is 10-3 against Pittsburgh this year and 23-8 over the last two seasons.
"We're making progress," said Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon. "Is it showing up in the standings? No, but it's not like we're not making progress."
Cardinals 4, Astros 2
In Houston, Chris Carpenter became baseball's first 20-game winner this season, and St. Louis took advantage of Roger Clemens' injury to beat Houston.
Clemens came out after five innings because of a strained left hamstring, leaving him without a decision in a marquee matchup of National League Cy Young pitching award candidates.
Carpenter (20-4) won his 12th straight decision over 15 starts, pitching his major league-leading seventh complete game.
The right-hander allowed eight hits in his 20th career complete game. It was his fourth victory this season over Houston, which has managed only three runs off him in 33 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
It also was Carpenter's 10th straight road victory, the first NL pitcher to accomplish that since Bob Gibson won 12 in a row in 1970.
Rockies 11, Dodgers 1
In Denver, Kim Byung-hyun won consecutive starts for only the second time in his major league career, and Brad Hawpe hit a three-run homer in a five-run fifth inning to lead Colorado over Los Angeles.
Coming off a 2-1 win at San Francisco, Kim (5-10) allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The only other time he won consecutive starts was in his 2003 finale and 2004 opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He has allowed two earned runs in his last three starts.
Hawpe, activated Friday after a stint on the disabled list caused by a strained left hamstring, had a career-high four RBIs. Garrett Atkins had three hits, including a home run.
D.J. Houlton (5-8) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings, dropping to 1-6 with a 5.34 ERA in his last nine starts. Los Angeles fell seven games behind NL West-leading San Diego.
Yuliesky Gourriel hit two home runs Saturday as eight-time defending champion Cuba beat South-Africa 12-2 in its Baseball World Cup opener.
In Haarlem, Gourriel hit a two-run homer in the first inning and another two-run shot in the seventh.
South Africa scored its only runs in the bottom of the third on a homer by Marvin Jonathan and an RBI single by Nicholas Dempsey.
In other Group A games, Panama beat South-Korea 5-3, China edged Brazil 6-5 in 15 innings, and the Netherlands -- backed by a sixth-innning grand slam from Raily Legito -- routed Sweden 18-0 for its second consecutive victory.
In Group B, Taiwan beat the Czech Republic 10-1, Australia edged Puerto Rico 4-2, and Japan defeated Spain 9-2.
RSS