(My Sportsbook) - Winning back-to-back games wasn't supposed to be a problem for the Chicago Cubs this season, but it's something the defending National League Central champions haven't accomplished in nearly two weeks.

The struggling Cubs hope to build off Friday's inspiring comeback victory over the Florida Marlins when the two teams continue a three-game series this afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Chicago, considered by many insiders to be the preseason favorite in the NL, stumbled into yesterday's showdown with the Marlins having lost seven times in a nine-game span, including an 8-2, 10-inning loss to Florida in Thursday's series opener. The Cubs were trailing midway through Friday's contest as well, but a grand slam by Ryan Theriot in the sixth inning ignited a rally that spurred the Northsiders to an 8-6 triumph.

Theriot's blast off reliever Burke Badenhop (1-1) gave Chicago a 6-5 lead, and the Cubs scored twice more in the bottom of the seventh to stop the NL East- leading Marlins' three-game win streak.

Mike Fontenot finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI for Chicago, while Derrek Lee and Reed Johnson each had two hits and scored twice in the win.

Rookie David Patton (1-1) picked up his first major league victory after tossing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Five Cubs relievers combined to hold Florida to one run over the game's final 5 1/3 frames.

Jorge Cantu and Alfredo Amezaga each knocked in two runs for the Marlins, who received a solid effort from starting pitcher Graham Taylor. The rookie threw the first five innings and allowed just two runs on five hits.

Cantu has now driven in 12 runs over the past four games and is batting .500 (7-for-14) with four homers during that span. The first baseman currently ranks second in the NL with 24 RBI.

He and his Florida teammates figure to face a challenge from the Cubs' Ted Lilly this afternoon. The veteran hurler has been sensational in his first two starts at Wrigley Field this season, having yielded only one unearned run and six hits over a 13 2/3 span in previous home outings against Colorado and Cincinnati.

Lilly wasn't as sharp in his most recent outing, which came in Arizona this past Monday. He walked four Diamondbacks in a five-inning stint and surrendered five runs in Chicago's 7-2 loss, which evened the competitive southpaw's season record at 2-2.

The 33-year-old will be facing a Florida squad he has yet to defeat over the course of his 11-year major league career. Lilly is 0-4 with a 5.53 earned run average in five lifetime starts against the Marlins, the only team he hasn't beaten in the majors.

Anibal Sanchez gets the call for the Marlins this afternoon and is also coming off a disappointing result in his previous start. The right-hander was tagged for six first-inning runs by the New York Mets this past Monday and was dealt the loss in Florida's 7-1 setback to its division rival. Sanchez did not give up a run over the final five frames of that start, however.

Prior to that performance, Sanchez had posted a strong 2.50 ERA over his first three starts of the season, having allowed just five runs over an 18-inning stretch.

The native Venezuelan, who had made just 16 big-league starts during the past two seasons due to shoulder problems, has faced the Cubs just once previously. That came last August in Miami, where Sanchez held Chicago to a run and three hits through 5 1/3 innings to lead the Marlins to a 2-1 win.

Chicago won four of its seven meetings with Florida a year ago, but the Marlins are 7-3 in their last 10 games at Wrigley Field.