Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Carlos Zambrano hurled seven solid innings, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits while striking out seven, and Derrek Lee clobbered the go-ahead home run, as the Chicago Cubs clipped the Houston Astros, 3-2, in the finale of their three-game set at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano (1-0) had not surrendered a run in his last three starts, dating back to September 23 of last season, but his scoreless streak was stopped at 22 1/3 innings, when the Astros crossed the plate in the third. Meanwhile, Kerry Wood earned his third save for Chicago, staking claim to his new role as the closer by ranking among the league leaders in saves in the early-going.

Said Zambrano of an uncharacteristic day in which he issued no walks: "The key is just pounding the zone, getting the first pitch over for a strike."

Lee finished 2-for-3 with a walk, double and the solo homer for the Cubs, who have triumphed in back-to-back outings after dropping three of their first four. Alfonso Soriano also hammered a solo shot, and Aramis Ramirez batted 2- for-3 with a walk.

"It's funny, people said I was in a slump the first couple of games of this season," said Lee. "Now I'm 7-for-8 (in my last eight at-bats). Baseball is not the NFL. We play a lot of games. There will be more peaks and valleys for me, and every player, during 162 games."

Astros starter Brandon Backe was a non-factor in the decision, working six innings and giving up two runs while walking three and striking out seven. Oscar Villareal (0-2) was taken deep by Lee, thus taking the loss for Houston, which was defeated in the last two contests of this series after taking the initial clash.

Miguel Tejada hit the first homer of his Astros career after being acquired from Baltimore in the offseason, and Darin Erstad knocked in the other run for Houston, which was forced to hold Lance Berkman out of the lineup due to neck spasms. Berkman left Saturday's game in the third inning, and his future status is unknown.

Villareal took to the rubber in the seventh in relief of Backe, but after inducing a fly-out to right, he left his initial offering over the plate for Lee, who responded by crushing the ball deep into the stands in left-center, earning the Cubs a 3-2 advantage.

Wood worked a perfect ninth inning for the save, fanning Tejada to end the affair.

For the first time this season, Chicago struck first, getting on the board in the home half of the second inning. With the bases full of Cubs and no outs, Zambrano grounded into a double play that scored DeRosa. Backe was then able to strand a man on third when he got Soriano to whiff at strike three, and the Astros trailed 1-0.

Houston came right back in the third to deadlock the tilt at 1-1. Backe helped himself by leading off with a double to right, and Michale Bourn moved him to third with a groundout to the right side of the infield. After Hunter Pence was retired, Erstad connected on a base hit to left, bringing Backe home.

Chicago took a 2-1 edge when Soriano led off the fifth inning with a blast that cleared the wall in left.

In the seventh, after falling behind in the count, 0-2, when he fouled off the first two pitches he saw, Tejada got his timing down and belted a leadoff homer into the left-field bleachers, knotting the score at 2-2.