CHICAGO – There aren’t many positives the Chicago Cubs will take away once this awful season reaches its conclusion, so they’ll cling to this one.

They’re 7-3 under interim manager Mike Quade. It’s small consolation, but it’ll do for now.

Alfonso Soriano and Blake DeWitt each hit three-run homers, and the Cubs beat the New York Mets 7-6 Friday.

It was a wild start to a weekend series between two disappointing teams, but the Cubs ultimately did just enough to come away with another win.

“It’s unfortunate that Lou (Piniella) had to leave the way he did,” pitcher Randy Wells said. “He’s a great manager, but when a guy like Quade steps in, it’s a little more youthful, a little more energetic.”

And the Cubs played with just enough pizzazz to pull out this game.

David Wright delivered a two-run double and scored in the first as the Mets grabbed a 3-0 lead against Wells. Then, with the Cubs ahead 7-4, Wright homered off Andrew Cashner leading off the seventh, giving him three hits.

Things really got interesting when Luis Hernandez started the eighth against Sean Marshall with his second career homer and first since Sept. 27, 2007. That made it 7-6, but the Mets came up short for the fourth time in five games.

The Cubs are showing some spark since Quade took over for the retired Piniella.

“Everybody was happy when Lou was here, but now, we’re playing better,” Soriano said. “We have to finish strong.”

Former Mets outfielder Xavier Nady had three hits. Starlin Castro had a pair of singles for his fifth straight multihit game, but the biggest blows came from Soriano and DeWitt. And both came with two outs against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (9-6).

“I kind of have to step up and own that and be accountable there because anytime we score six runs, we need to win the ball game,” Dickey said.

Soriano capped a four-run fourth with his 22nd homer, briefly putting the Cubs ahead 4-3. The Mets tied it in the sixth when Angel Pagan singled with two out and came around on a double to the right-field corner by Lucas Duda, the first hit and RBI of his career.

PHILLIES 1, BREWERS 0: Cole Hamels dominated over seven innings as host Philadelphia capitalized on a Milwaukee miscue to score the game’s only run. Hamels (9-10) continued to receive little run support but didn’t need much as he breezed to his second straight win and ran his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 18. He gave up three hits and struck out seven.

MARLINS 6, BRAVES 1: Logan Morrison hit two stand-up RBI triples, and Andrew Miller worked five innings for his first win in more than a year for host Florida. Atlanta’s loss, combined with Philadelphia’s win, cut the Braves’ NL East lead over the Phillies to one game. Chad Tracy had two hits and two RBI for Florida. Miller (1-0) allowed seven hits and one run.

PIRATES 8, NATIONALS 5: Ryan Doumit had three hits, including a home run, and two RBI, and Garrett Jones drove in three runs to lead host Pittsburgh.