Chicago, IL -- (Sports Network) - Ted Lilly pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and Derrek Lee supplied all the offense with a two-run homer, as the Chicago Cubs got by the Houston Astros, 2-0, spoiling Aaron Boone's return to the majors following open-heart surgery.

Andres Blanco, Kosuke Fukudome and Lilly had the only other hits for the Cubs, who took two of the three games in the series and have won four of six overall. Chicago is six games behind Colorado in the National League wild card race.

Lilly (10-8) struck out five without issuing a walk in lowering his earned run average to 3.17 this season. The veteran lefty improved to 7-1 at home in 11 starts this year. Carlos Marmol notched his eighth save of the season after getting the final three outs.

"A wonderful, wonderful game. Eight innings, low pitch count, he used all of his pitches. Houston is a nice hitting team too," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said about Lilly's outing.

Boone, who underwent the open-heart procedure in March, went 0-for-3. Boone had the surgery to correct a condition he has had since college that involves an aortic valve replacement. Batting seventh in the lineup and starting at first base, Boone flied out to left to end the second inning, flied out to left to begin the fifth and grounded out in the eighth.

"I was a little nervous taking the field," said Boone. "I was fine last night and all day today. And then running out there I was a little nervous, but I got in the flow of the game pretty quick and at first I just handled the ball a lot. Once we got going I felt pretty good."

Carlos Lee went 2-for-4 for Houston, which has dropped eight of its last 10 games.

Felipe Paulino (2-7) suffered the loss despite allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two.

Chicago plated the only runs of the game in the fourth. Blanco led off the inning with a double, and Lee followed by belting a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers.

The Cubs did manage to put runners on first and second with one out in the sixth, but Milton Bradley flied out and Jake Fox bounced into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Houston was held quiet until the top of the ninth. Marmol took the hill and issued a one-out walk to Hunter Pence and Lee followed with a single to left. The Cubs closer got Miguel Tejada to fly out to right and pinch-hitter Geoff Blum to pop out to third to preserve the win.

Game Notes

The Cubs will host the White Sox in a make-up game on Thursday, while Houston opens a 10-game homestand against Philadelphia on Friday...The Cubs won 11 of 17 meetings with Houston, including six of nine at Wrigley Field this season.