(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs try to continue their recent mastery of the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon when the NL Central rivals continue their three-game set at Wrigley Field in the lone series being contested in the Senior Circuit this weekend.

Chicago has won all seven of its matchups with the Pirates this season and 10 in a row dating back to last season. The Cubs have also won eight of their last 10 at home versus the Bucs.

Alfonso Soriano helped continue that trend in the opener of this set on Friday, as he hit a pair of home runs and drove in four, lifting Chicago to a 7-4 win. Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa also went deep for the Cubs, who have won seven of their last eight games overall.

Over his last five games Soriano has belted five home runs and has driven in 10 runs.

Sean Gallagher (1-0) earned his first major-league win for Chicago, scattering four hits and one run over six innings. The 22-year-old walked three and struck out three, needing 91 pitches to complete the outing.

Doug Mientkiewicz and Jason Bay homered for the Pirates, who have dropped two of three overall. Nate McLouth doubled and scored while Xavier Nady also drove in a run.

Pittsburgh starter Tom Gorzelanny (3-4) took the loss, charged with seven hits and seven runs over six innings, giving up four home runs.

Getting the call for the Cubs today will be ace right-hander Carlos Zambrano, who is unbeaten in his last six starts. Zambrano won his second straight outing on Monday against the San Diego Padres, as he surrendered three runs and six hits in seven innings to improve to 6-1 on the year to go along with a 2.03 ERA.

In his last six starts Zambrano has yielded just seven runs in 42 1/3 frames.

Zambrano is 9-6 lifetime against the Pirates with a 3.83 ERA in 20 games, 18 of which have been starts.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will pin its hopes on lefty Zach Duke, who is 2-2 with a 4.04 ERA. Duke, though, has won his last two starts and is coming off his best outing of the season on Monday against the Atlanta Braves. Duke scattered five hits over six scoreless innings in that one, but walked five and struck out three.

Duke lost to the Cubs earlier in the year and is 4-3 over the course of his career against them with a 2.57 ERA in 10 starts.