CINCINNATI (AP) — Carlos Zambrano homered and pitched into the seventh inning to earn his 100th career victory as the Chicago Cubs beat the slumping Cincinnati Reds 2-1 on Friday night.

Zambrano didn’t allow a hit until Adam Rosales lined a single to left with one out in the fifth inning.

Zambrano gave up two hits and a season-high five walks in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out seven while reaching the milestone in his third try since beating Florida on May 3 for win No. 99. Since then, he spent 19 days on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, lost at San Diego and was suspended six games for an altercation with plate umpire Mark Carlson on May 27 in Chicago.

His return was delayed one more day by rain that washed out his scheduled start Thursday in Atlanta.

The Cubs pushed across a run in the first on Ryan Theriot’s one-out infield hit — one of his two hits after going 1 for 10 on he road trip with three walks.

Zambrano (4-2), who struck out the side in the first, hit his second home run of the season and 18th of his career on Micah Owings’ first pitch of the fifth inning, extending the Cubs’ lead to 2-0.

After allowing his first hit in the bottom of the fifth, the right-hander struck out Owings before right fielder Micah Hoffpauir made a tumbling catch of Jerry Hairston Jr.’s drive to the warning track to end the inning.

Zambrano also helped his cause with some alert defense. He covered first base on Brandon Phillips’ foul pop near the first base stands in the sixth inning. First baseman Derrek Lee caught the ball and threw to Zambrano to double Chris Dickerson off of first.

In the seventh, with Jay Bruce on first and one out, Zambrano made a juggling catch of Alex Gonzalez’s line drive up the middle. Zambrano was replaced by right-hander Angel Guzman after walking the next batter.

Friday’s Game

Cubs 2, Reds 1

Chicago Cincinnati

ab r h bi ab r h bi

ASorin lf 4 0 1 0 HrstnJr 3b 4 1 0 0

Theriot ss 5 1 2 0 Dickrsn cf 4 0 0 0

Fukdm cf-rf 3 0 0 0 BPhllps 2b 4 0 1 1

D.Lee 1b 3 0 1 0 L.Nix lf 4 0 0 0

Hoffpar rf 4 0 0 0 RHrndz c 3 0 0 0

Marml p 0 0 0 0 Bruce rf 2 0 1 0

Gregg p 0 0 0 0 AlGnzlz ss 4 0 0 0

Fontent 3b 3 0 1 1 ARosls 1b 3 0 1 0

K.Hill c 4 0 1 0 Owings p 1 0 0 0

ABlanc 2b 3 0 0 0 Masset p 0 0 0 0

Zamrn p 3 1 1 1 Gomes ph 1 0 0 0

AGzmn p 0 0 0 0 Rhodes p 0 0 0 0

RJhnsn cf 1 0 0 0 Corder p 0 0 0 0

Hanign ph 1 0 1 0

WCastll pr 0 0 0 0

Totals 33 2 7 2 Totals 31 1 4 1

Chicago 100 010 000 — 2

Cincinnati 000 000 010 — 1

E—Theriot (5). DP—Chicago 1. LOB—Chicago 9, Cincinnati 10. 2B—A.Soriano (12). 3B—B.Phillips (3). HR—Zambrano (2). SB—A.Soriano (6), Theriot (8). S—A.Blanco.

IP H R ER BB SO

Chicago

Zambrano W,4-2 6 2-3 2 0 0 5 7

A.Guzman H,6 1-3 0 0 0 0 0

Marmol H,13 1 1 1 1 2 0

Gregg S,10-12 1 1 0 0 0 1

Cincinnati

Owings L,3-7 6 5 2 2 3 6

Masset 1 1 0 0 0 2

Rhodes 1 0 0 0 0 2

Cordero 1 1 0 0 1 0

WP—Gregg. Umpires—Home, Mike DiMuro; First, Dale Scott; Second, Jerry Meals; Third, Damien Beal. T—2:55. A—32,374 (42,319).