ATLANTA (AP) — The Chicago Cubs refused to be distracted after teammate Carlos Zambrano was placed on the disqualified list Saturday.

The focused Cubs took care of business with an 8-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night to continue their recent strong play. Chicago has won 10 of 13.

Manager Mike Quade said he wasn’t surprised when his team responded to the controversy with a win.

“You know what? I’m never surprised at these guys,” Quade said. “They just come to the park and play.

“They just go about their business. And that’s a good thing. No distractions. Let’s just play.”

Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney each had four hits and Carlos Pena had a two-run double.

Atlanta’s Dan Uggla had two hits, including a homer, to extend his hitting streak to 33 games, the longest in the majors this season.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Zambrano would receive no pay and have no part in team activities for 30 days.

Zambrano cleaned out his locker and left the team after giving up five homers and being ejected from Friday night’s 10-4 loss to the Braves. He did not return to the team Saturday.

Hendry said Saturday that Zambrano’s actions were “intolerable.”

“This was the most stringent penalty we could enforce without a release,” Hendry said.

Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster had similarly strong words.

“He’s made his bed. Let him sleep in it,” Dempster said.

“It’s not like it’s something new.”

Randy Wells (4-4) gave up two runs on eight hits in five-plus innings.

Distractions?

“Just a normal day,” Wells said. “Try to forget about last night.

“I haven’t heard the whole story. I’ve tried to stay out of it. I really don’t even feel comfortable talking about it. I don’t know the details.”

Derek Lowe (7-11) gave up five runs on 10 hits in six innings. He allowed three hits, including Pena’s two-run double that gave Chicago a 3-1 lead in the fifth.

James Russell walked Uggla to load the bases with one out in the ninth after giving up singles to Martin Prado and Freddie Freeman.

Quade brought in closer Carlos Marmol, who gave up a long fly ball to Chipper Jones to drive in Prado before ending the game when Alex Gonzalez hit a pop fly to Castro at shortstop. Marmol earned his 27th save.

The Cubs added two runs in the sixth. Tyler Colvin led off with a triple to center. Atlanta’s Michael Bourn had the long drive in the top of his glove before losing the ball when he crashed into the wall.

Colvin scored on Geovany Soto’s grounder to third. Chipper Jones threw high to the plate and was initially charged with an error. After the game, Soto was awarded an RBI when the error was changed to a fielder’s choice grounder. Soto scored on Castro’s single.

A fielding miscue by left fielder Martin Prado hurt the Braves in the eighth. After Alfonso Soriano led off the inning with an infield hit, Colvin hit a liner that skipped off the charging Prado’s glove for an error, allowing pinch-runner Tony Campana to advance to third.

Right-hander Cristhian Martinez fielded pinch-hitter Blake DeWitt’s grounder and threw to the plate, but Campana slid under Ross’ tag. Castro and Barney added run-scoring singles.

Hendry said Major League Baseball and the players’ association would discuss Zambrano’s statements about his baseball future.

Quade said Friday night that Zambrano told team personnel he might retire.

Asked if he knew where Zambrano was on Saturday, Hendry said: “I have no idea.”

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said Zambrano would be welcomed back by his teammates, but only if he made changes.

“If he changes his attitude, he’s more than welcome,” Ramirez said.

“He’s got to think a little bit more. He’s one man. It’s not just one time. A lot of people have tried to help him. He won’t let them.”

Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management last season after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.

In 2009, he was suspended following a tirade against an umpire in which he threw a baseball into the outfield and slammed his glove against the dugout fence.

In 2007, Zambrano signed a deal adding $91.5 million over five seasons through 2012. He was to earn $17.85 million this season and $18 million in 2012.

He is 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA.

A message was left Saturday seeking comment from Barry Praver, Zambrano’s agent. Hendry said Praver indicated Zambrano is not retiring.

The Cubs did not immediately announce a corresponding roster move for Zambrano. The team will need a starting pitcher for his next scheduled turn in the rotation Wednesday at Houston.

NOTES: The Braves had a pregame video tribute for former radio and TV broadcaster Ernie Johnson Sr., who died Friday night at the age of 87. Johnson was involved with the team for more than 50 years as a player, executive and broadcaster. … A collection of players from the Braves’ 1991 NL championship team took a 7-7 tie in a softball game against former Braves players from other years. John Smoltz hit a two-run homer and made an over-the-shoulder catch in center field for the 1991 team, which was managed by Bobby Cox. Many of the players attended Friday night’s ceremony to retire Cox’s No. 6. … Braves rookie Brandon Beachy will try for his sixth win against Chicago’s Matt Garza in Sunday’s final game of the series. Garza will be making his first career start against Atlanta, and Beachy will make his first start against the Cubs. … Braves C Brian McCann expects to return from a strained left oblique injury Sunday. He played his second rehab game with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. … Castro matched his career high with his four hits

___

AP freelance writer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd in Atlanta contributed to this report.

CHICAGO (AP) - Randy Wells pitched six strong innings to earn his first win since April 4 and Geovany Soto added a solo shot and an RBI single in the ninth to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the major league-worst Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon.

Marlon Byrd also homered for the Cubs, who will try to win three in a row on Sunday for the first time this season.

The Astros have lost 14 of its last 18 road games and six straight overall.

Wells (2-3) allowed one run on five hits. He struck out four and pitched around two walks.

Chicago’s bullpen backed up Wells. Marshall struck out pinch-hitter Matt Downs to end the eighth, leaving runners at first and second. Cubs closer Carlos Marmol was back in his normal role after struggling with control issues.

Cubs manager Mike Quade temporaily removed Marmol as the closer earlier in the week. In his five previous appearances, Marmol allowed eight walks, but in a non-save situation on Saturday, Marmol was just as wild. After allowing a leadoff single, he hit Carlos Corporan, but then rebounded by retiring the next three batters.

Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (6-7) pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out seven and walked one.

After winning in his season debut against the Diamondbacks, Wells went nine straight outings without picking up win. The right-hander was 0-3 with a 7.38 ERA in his nine previous starts and gave up at least four runs in five consecutive starts.

Wells, who gave up a combined 12 runs in the first innings of his previous five outings, allowed a leadoff single to Michael Bourn and walked Angel Sanchez to start the game. After Hunter Pence popped out, Wells ended the inning by getting Carlos Lee swinging and Chris Johnson looking.

In the second inning, Byrd gave the Cubs a lead with a home run to center field on a 2-2 pitch from Rodriguez. It was Byrd’s fifth of the season.

Soto led off the fifth with a solo shot on an 0-2 pitch. It was Soto’s ninth of the season.

Lee cut the Cubs’ lead with an RBI single in the sixth inning. Sanchez scored from second, just beating Byrd’s throw from center.

The Cubs added insurance runs in the ninth. Kosuke Fukudome, who came in as a defensive replacement hit a triple off Astros reliever Sergio Escalona. Fukudome ended up scoring on Starlin Castro’s infield single off reliever Fernando Rodriguez. With the bases loaded, Soto hit a hard grounder at third baseman Chris Johnson. Johnson made a diving stop, but made an errant throw to first allowing two runs to score to make it 5-1.

NOTES: Astros third base coach Dave Clark missed the game to attend a funeral. Bench coach Al Pedrique filled in for Clark. … The announced attendance was 40,486 putting the Cubs over the 2 million mark for the 2011 season. … Corporan left the game after getting hit on the left heel.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ATLANTA (AP) — Pinch-hitter Kyle Philips broke a 2-all tie in the 10th inning with his first career home run and San Diego earned its third straight win. Phillips, a rookie with a .167 average in 30 at-bats, led off the inning and hit the second pitch from George Sherrill (1-1).

Heath Bell pitched the 10th for his 13th save in 14 opportunities. Chad Qualls (3-2) earned the victory with a scoreless ninth, giving up one walk and facing four batters. For a fourth straight start, San Diego’s Aaron Harang didn’t earn a decision, but he was sharp, allowing six hits, two runs and two walks with five strikeouts.

Tim Hudson, the Braves’ starter, allowed five hits and two runs — one earned — with no walks and seven strikeouts in six innings.

Other NL News

Matheny critical of Cousins’ hit on Posey

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Former major league catcher Mike Matheny, whose career was ended by concussions, said the hit that knocked out the Giants’ Buster Posey for the rest of the season could have easily been avoided.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Holliday returned to the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup Monday after missing six starts with a left quadriceps injury.

Holliday was batting .347, second in the National League behind teammate Lance Berkman’s .354 average, entering Monday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. The Cardinals were 4-2 without their cleanup hitter, winning series at San Diego and Colorado.

Holliday made one appearance in the six games, drawing an intentional walk Friday night at Colorado. Berkman batted cleanup during Holliday’s absence and was 8 for 17 with seven walks and an RBI. He was back in the fifth slot on Monday.

The Cardinals were 2-27 in series against defending world champions under manager Tony La Russa entering a four-game series against San Francisco. La Russa said he wasn’t aware of that.

“What? Thanks for mentioning it,” he said to a reporter. “I’m just going to ignore it.”

La Russa said for now he’s not considering moving No. 3 hitter Albert Pujols around in the order. Pujols was in 3 for 20 slump and had only four RBIs in the last 17 games.

“He’s immune to pressure, but if I thought he needed a break I’d do whatever it took,” La Russa said. “You try to get the best out of him and if anybody’s struggling you’re just open-minded to do anything.

“But I’m not going to write him out of the third spot for this week.”

– R.B. Fallstrom

Cubs place utility infielder Baker on DL

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs placed utility infielder Jeff Baker on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin and promoted infielder D.J. LeMahieu from Double-A Tennessee on Monday. Baker is hitting .368 with a home run and 14 RBIs in 31 games.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano left Monday’s game against the Houston Astros after straining his left quadriceps after trying to beat out a grounder in the first inning.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 13 runs total in Paul Maholm’s first 10 starts this season. On Saturday they hit four homers and crossed the plate 10 times, giving the left-hander a comfortable cushion he’s seldom enjoyed.

The way Maholm was pitching, through, he didn’t need that much help. He mowed down the Chicago Cubs with a three-hit shutout, retiring the side in order in seven of the nine innings of Pittsburgh’s 10-0 victory. It was his first win since April 25.

 

“You go out there and you do everything you can to make sure the team has a chance. And I think I’ve done that,” Maholm said. “And today the guys broke out and scored a bunch of runs and made it easier on me. And going out there, every pitch wasn’t a nail-biter.”

 

Ronny Cedeno, Lyle Overbay, Chris Snyder and Andrew McCutchen each homered for the Pirates.

 

Maholm (2-7) got his third career shutout in a place he’s always pitched well. He’s 8-2 in 15 career starts against the Cubs, including 6-2 in 11 starts at Wrigley Field.

 

He only needed 91 pitches to finish off the Cubs in a game that took 2 hours, 28 minutes.

 

“The main thing is that no matter where you pitch, if you execute your pitches and mix speeds it makes it a lot easier,” he said.

 

“That last inning my goal was to try to get it under 90 pitches, but I’ll take the 92 or whatever it is. It was just something to say you’ve done. With the run support, it was mainly just go out there, attack hitters and let the guys do their job on defense.”

 

Maholm retired the first 13 batters he faced before Alfonso Soriano doubled in the fifth, driving a ball to the center-field wall that McCutchen leaped for but couldn’t catch. Lou Montanez then reached on an infield single.

 

Darwin Barney reached on a two-out infield single in the ninth for the only other Chicago hit. Maholm walked none and struck out four.

 

Pittsburgh had been struggling offensively with only six runs in its previous four games, but broke out on an overcast 61-degree day with their most homers in a game this season.

 

“I’m sure it’s been frustrating, but he really hasn’t let it show,” Snyder said of Maholm. “He goes about his business. He’s a professional. And like I said, what he did today was nothing different than what he’s been doing all year except for the run support.”

 

Cedeno’s three-run shot capped a five-run fourth that finally gave Maholm a big early lead.

 

In just his second start of the season and first since April 4, Chicago’s Randy Wells (1-1) lasted four innings after being activated off the disabled list (right forearm strain).

 

Wells gave up five hits, including Cedeno’s second homer, and five runs with three walks and seven strikeouts in a 92-pitch outing.

 

Overbay hit his fifth homer, leading off the sixth against reliever James Russell. And one out later, Snyder sent his second homer of the season over the wall in left to make it 7-0. McCutchen connected off reliever Scott Maine in the seventh, his ninth of the season.

 

McCutchen led off the fourth with a single and made third on Neil Walker’s fly ball double to left that Soriano couldn’t catch. One out later, Steve Pearce hit a two-run single and after Snyder walked, ex-Cub Cedeno drove a ball over the wall in right center.

 

“I got behind a lot of hitters and ran the pitch count up,” Wells said, adding he wasn’t as rusty as he was anxious. “I gave up the double to left there that I thought off the bat was a fly ball out. … You try to control the inning. … I felt confident I could go after Cedeno with the pitcher on deck, just made a bad pitch and left it up.”

 

Maholm had pitched 6 2-3 innings of scoreless ball at Wrigley Field on April 2, leaving with a 3-0 lead, before the Cubs got five runs in the eighth and he ended up with a no-decision.

 

His last shutout before Saturday came on July 18, 2010, against the Astros.

 

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was impressed with how Maholm has handled his first 11 starts, through the good run support of Saturday and the leaner times during most of the season.

 

“All he can control is his job off the mound, and he’s really embraced that,” Hurdle said. “He can’t control run support. He can’t control a lot of other things. But he can control how he pitches. And that’s what he’s locked down on.”

BOSTON — The Chicago Cubs placed outfielder Marlon Byrd on the 15-day disabled list with multiple facial fractures on Sunday, a day after he was beaned in the left eye by a pitch from Boston’s Alfredo Aceves that sent him to the hospital complaining, “I can’t see.”

First baseman Carlos Pena, who visited Byrd in the hospital after Saturday night’s game, said his teammate was sitting up in bed, with two pizzas on his lap.

“He’s doing well. He’s a tough kid,” Pena said. “Thank God. I’m so relieved to see him conscious.”

Byrd was struck by a fastball on the left side of his head near the ear flap on a 1-2 pitch from Aceves. The Cubs center fielder crumpled onto his back, kicked his legs in the air then quickly got up holding his hand to his face, which had a cut near the left cheekbone.

He walked to the dugout on his own and down the stairs toward the clubhouse.

“When you see an injury like that, hits you in the face, a fastball — you want to be optimistic,” Pena said. “When he was walking off the field, he said, ‘I can’t see. My left eye.’ … It was scary. When you hear a crowd make a certain noise. It’s something you can’t explain. You fear the worse for your friend.”

Cubs spokesman Peter Chase said Byrd was released from a Boston hospital and is expected to fly home with the team following Sunday night’s series finale. He is expected to be re-evaluated this week in Chicago and it’s uncertain how long he’ll be sidelined.

“The heck with baseball. I’m more concerned with the person’s health,” Cubs manager Mike Quade said. “He’ll get ready when he’s ready.”

Aceves was making his first start of the season because of injuries to John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka. He also hit Chicago’s first batter of the game, Kosuke Fukudome.

“I’ve tried to call him twice,” Aceves said. “They didn’t answer in the clubhouse. I’m trying to call him to let him know I’m sorry. I said yesterday there’s nothing you can do about walks and hit by pitches. It’s not intentional. I’m not like that.”

Pena said he got dressed as quickly as he could after Saturday’s game, a 9-3 Chicago victory, and went to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

“I was impressed to see him — with an injury to his eye — sitting up. I expected to see him worse,” Pena said. “He had a lot of energy. I went to see him because I was too concerned. … Even last night, he said, ‘I can see you, you’re blurry, but I see you.’”

Reed Johnson pinch ran and replaced Byrd in the field in the bottom of the second on Saturday night, hitting the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning of Chicago’s 9-3 victory. He was in the lineup again on Sunday, batting ninth.

The Cubs recalled right-hander Justin Berg from Triple-A Iowa to take Byrd’s spot on the roster.

Pena said Red Sox players — including David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Jed Lowrie — asked about Byrd when they reached first base later in the game.

“It was scary,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “I don’t care what uniform you’re in. it makes you nervous.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano left Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning because of cramping in his right hand.

Zambrano gave up a homer to Garrett Jones to start the seventh and then left the game after getting a 2-2 count on Ronny Cedeno. With the Cubs trailing 3-0, he was replaced by Kerry Wood.

Zambrano, who underwent anger management counseling last season after he was suspended following a dugout tirade on June 25 at U.S. Cellular Field, was 8-0 over his final 11 starts last season. On Saturday, he threw 99 pitches on a cool day and gave up five hits and three runs.