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Final Score: Chicago Cubs 6 - Florida 5

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Daryle Ward clubbed a pinch-hit three-run homer in the top of the ninth, as the Chicago Cubs rallied to a 6-5 win over the Florida Marlins in the opener of a three-game set at Dolphin Stadium.

Mark DeRosa had a two-run homer, walked three times and scored three runs for Chicago, which won for the 15th time in 18 tries. The Cubs have also won nine straight road games. It's the club's first nine-game road winning streak since a 12-game stretch from July 1-August 3, 1945.

"I just picked up his release spot early and saw it was another fastball," Ward said. "(I) took a good hack and connected and felt really good after that."

Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano gave up five runs on four hits with six strikeouts and five walks in six innings of work. Zambrano was coming off a career-worst outing against the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday in which he was victimized for nine runs on 10 hits, including four home runs, in just 4 1/3 frames. The comeback made a winner out of Chad Gaudin (4-1), who tossed two scoreless innings.

"Baseball is like that. It's a good thing my teammates were able to win the game," Zambrano said. "Believe me I'm happy for the team but there are some things I have to correct with my (pitching) mechanics."

Jorge Cantu belted a three-run homer for the Marlins, who have dropped three games in a row and six of their last eight contests to fall 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the top spot in the National League East.

Josh Johnson, who missed the first three-plus months of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, allowed three runs on five hits over six innings, but did not receive a decision. The right-hander walked three and matched his career-high with eight strikeouts.

Kevin Gregg (6-5) took the loss after he surrendered the home run to Ward.

Gregg came on in relief in the ninth to try and protect a 5-3 lead. DeRosa drew a lead-off walk and Reed Johnson stroked a one-out single before pinch- hitter Ward connected on an 0-1 fastball and deposited the offering in the right-field seats.

"(I'm) going to think about this one. You got to think about every loss," Gregg said. "(Josh Johnson) came out and threw an excellent game, put us in a spot to win the ballgame and I screwed it up in the ninth."

In the bottom half, Kerry Wood issued a one-out walk to Hanley Ramirez and clipped the jersey of Cantu with two outs, but fanned Alfredo Amezaga to end the game and notch his 25th save.

The Cubs opened the scoring in the second. DeRosa, filling in at third base for the injured Aramis Ramirez, who is nursing a sore left hip, worked a one-out walk and scampered to third on a Mike Fontenot base hit. One out later, Zambrano helped his own cause by slapping an RBI single into right field. Florida, though, struck back in its half of the second on a two-out, RBI double by Cody Ross, then pulled ahead with four runs in the third.

Josh Johnson and Ramirez drew consecutive walks to begin the frame. After Jeremy Hermida failed to bunt the runners over, Cantu jumped on a 1-2 pitch from Zambrano and drove it over the left-field wall for his 21st home run of the season. Dan Uggla walked with two outs and came around to score on a Josh Willingham triple for a 5-1 Marlins lead.

The Cubs quickly responded with a pair of runs in the fourth. Geovany Soto singled to begin the inning and DeRosa's blast over the left-field wall trimmed the deficit to 5-3. The home run upped his season total to 14 and established a new career-high. DeRosa hit 13 homers in 2006 as a member of the Texas Rangers.