Ramiro Pena hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning and Tim Hudson fired 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the Atlanta Braves' 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in the finale of a three-game set.
Hudson (1-0) fanned seven and surrendered just three hits and two walks for Atlanta, which swept the series and is off to a 5-1 start.
Dan Uggla smacked a solo homer and scored twice in the triumph.
"A lot of good things happened on the homestand, great pitching again," Uggla said.
Jeff Samardzija (1-1) struck out a career-high 13 batters, but allowed four runs on four hits and four free passes over 5 2/3 frames for the Cubs, who have dropped four of their last five games.
"It's a double-edged sword when you strike out guys like that," Samardzija said. "Your pitch count gets up, you're showing them a lot of pitches and you're doing some different things. Obviously it's not a bad thing. I felt good ... It ended up coming back to haunt me."
The game was tied 1-1 before Atlanta plated three in the sixth to go in front.
Evan Gattis worked a one-out walk before Dan Uggla reached on a force out. Juan Francisco singled and Chris Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Pena snuck a grounder in the hole on the right side of the infield and past a diving Alex Gonzalez to bring home Uggla and Francisco. Johnson came around to score on Hudson's base hit to right-center and make it 4-1.
The Braves added an insurance run in the eighth on Uggla's blast to left- center.
Earlier, Chicago jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as David DeJesus led off the game with a double, advanced to third on Starlin Castro's flyout to center and scored on Anthony's Rizzo's grounder to third base.
Atlanta got on the board in the fifth. Pena hit a two-out double to left before Hudson walked. With B.J. Upton batting, back-to-back wild pitches by Samardzija brought home Pena to knot the contest.
Game Notes
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