By RICK GANO

AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO – The Cubs’ home opener featured a new manager and big star, a hefty payroll and high expectations.

The results? Pretty much the same old stuff.

Adam Everett hit a two-run homer off Bob Howry in the eighth inning to lead the Houston Astros over Chicago 5-3 Monday in the Wrigley Field home debuts of manager Lou Piniella and center fielder Alfonso Soriano.

Everett, who had six homers last season, connected on a 3-2 pitch from Howry (0-2), who’d given up a leadoff double to Morgan Ensberg.

It was a raw, overcast, 40-degree day at Wrigley and the ivy was a winter brown. The biggest spots of green on the old walls came from two new advertising signs for a sportswear company.

Soriano showed why the Cubs gave him a club-record $136 million, eight-year deal, using his speed and daring in the seventh inning to tie the game.

After he’d grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out, Soriano stole second and then scored when Jacque Jones hit a high chopper to second for an infield single and Craig Biggio threw low to first for an error.

The 41-year-old Biggio also had a pair of doubles and scored twice as Houston won for just the second time in seven games.

Astros starter Woody Williams allowed two runs and six hits in six innings before the Cubs tied it with the unearned run in the seventh off Chad Qualls (1-1).

Dan Wheeler, pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in two chances. Wheeler was became the Astros closer before the game, replacing struggling Brad Lidge.

Chicago left-hander Ted Lilly, one of the top offseason acquisitions during a $300 million spending spree by a team without a World Series winner since 1908, allowed three runs and six hits over six-plus innings.

Lilly gave up back-to-back doubles to the first two hitters he faced, Biggio and Chris Burke before settling down and retiring the next 10 batters. But with one out in the fourth, Carlos Lee doubled and Ensberg followed with an RBI single.

Biggio doubled again in the fifth, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on Lance Berkman’s sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

Williams held the Cubs scoreless until the sixth, when Jones singled, moved up on an infield single and scored on Aramis Ramirez’s RBI single. With two outs, Michael Barrett delivered a run-scoring double to make it 3-2 and get the fans out of their seats.

Soriano got a loud ovation during pregame introductions and then gave the chilled crowd some early excitement with a leadoff bloop single in the first. When Derrek Lee followed one out later with another blooper, Soriano raced to third, where he was stranded by a popup and strikeout.

Notes:@ Biggio’s two doubles gave him 640, tying Honus Wagner for eighth place. … Chicago Bears’ return specialist Devin Hester threw out the first pitch. … Cubs GM Jim Hendry said he’s still confident the team will reach an agreement on a contract extension with RHP Carlos Zambrano, who got one of the loudest cheers during pregame introductions.