CHICAGO – Rich Hill struggled with his control but won for the first time in three starts this year, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Friday for their ninth victory in 12 games.

Mark DeRosa doubled and drove in a run, and Reed Johnson hit a tiebreaking single in a three-run fourth inning as Chicago sent the Pirates to their third straight loss.

Hill (1-0) combined with four relievers on a six-hitter, allowing one run, three hits and three walks in five innings with four strikeouts. Jon Lieber, Sean Marshall, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood followed, with Wood pitching a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five chances.

DeRosa, who doubled leading off the second and singled in the tying run, is batting .321. His good start followed a difficult spring training in which he got the flu, doctors performed a procedure to cure an irregular heartbeat, and the Cubs discussed replacing him with Baltimore’s Brian Roberts.

Ian Snell (2-1) lost for the first time in seven starts since Sept. 8 _ also against the Cubs. He gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one.