Luis Valbuena went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Junior Lake added two hits and scored twice for the Cubs, who won for only the sixth time in their last 18 road games. Travis Wood (6-5) scattered nine hits and two walks across 6 2/3 innings but limited the damage to three runs, and five relievers finished it off with Neil Ramirez recording the final three outs to preserve the win.

Andrew McCutchen smashed a two-run homer among his two hits and Russell Martin and Starling Marte also had a pair of hits for the Pirates, who were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine men. Pittsburgh starter Francisco Liriano lasted only three innings before leaving with pain in his left side after throwing a few warm-up pitches prior to the fourth.

Rizzo followed Lake's one-out single in the first with a two-run blast into the right-field seats, but heralded prospect Gregory Polanco singled with two outs in the third for his first major-league hit and McCutchen followed with a two-run shot to tie it. Darwin Barney's RBI double scored Rizzo to put the Cubs back on top in the fourth, but Josh Harrison's sacrifice fly tied it again in the bottom of the frame.

The Cubs regained the lead for good on Valbuena's two-run, pinch-hit double off the wall in right in the sixth against Casey Sadler (0-1), and they broke it open with two more runs in the seventh. Lake started the rally with a two-out bunt single and Rizzo followed with an RBI double before Starlin Castro had a run-scoring single.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Rizzo's home run was the third Liriano has allowed to a left-handed batter this season after not surrendering any to left-handed hitters in 2013. … McCutchen has homered in back-to-back games for the third time this season. … Rizzo has recorded multiple hits in four of his last six games.