NEW YORK -- Back when "Seinfeld" was all the rage, there was an episode called "Bizarro World," in which every character experienced things that were different, backward, odd or just simply wrong.

Chicago outlasted New York, 8-6, in a slugfest on Tuesday, taking back-to-back games to win the series, and made the Mets feel as though they've stepped into their own Bizarro World.

Not only did the Cubs win their second consecutive game over the team with the National League's best record, they prevented the Mets, who have the most one-run victories, from making a comeback in the ninth inning.

Aramis Ramirez went 2-for-4, including his 23rd home run of the season, to pace the three-homer night by the Cubs and help Carlos Zambrano win his eighth straight decision.

Zambrano helped his own cause, smacking a solo homer in the seventh inning. His fourth home run of the season gives him the most by a Cubs pitcher since Fergie Jenkins hit six in 1971.

The Cubs staved off the Mets' ninth-inning rally when reliever Bob Howry entered the game with the bases loaded and forced Paul Lo Duca into a game-ending popout to Neifi Perez at second. Ryan Dempster had come in to close the game but, in his third appearance in as many days, looked fatigued. He allowed a run and put three men on before manager Dusty Baker called for Howry.

"[Dempster] wasn't happy about it, but I have to do what I think is best for the team," said Baker, who mentioned that the closer had thrown 27 pitches before he was pulled. "I didn't think Lo Duca was that familiar with Howry, so that's why I went to him when I did. Ryan also looked like he was starting to lose a little bit of control."

Baker was right in that Lo Duca had never faced Howry, and it showed, as his flare barely got to the edge of the infield, and Perez easily handled it for the final out.

"It was a hanging slider that I got lucky on, but I had worked him fastballs in and out, out and in until he finally bit on the slider," said Howry, who set up Dempster's 17th save in Monday's game with a solid 1 1/3 innings. "We feel like we have a solid bullpen, and we have shown it in these past two games."

The Cubs have also shown that they have more power then expected, hitting three home runs for the second consecutive day, and jumping out to an early lead once again.

With two outs in the first inning, Ramirez crushed a first-pitch fastball from Mets starter Tom Glavine 405 feet into the bleachers in left. Ramirez barely had time to return to the dugout when Phil Nevin smacked the first pitch he saw from Glavine, sending it over the right-field wall for his 18th homer of the season. It was the second straight night the Cubs went back-to-back, after Ramirez and Jacque Jones did so on Monday.

The Mets then touched the Cubs' ace for a home run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, when Carlos Beltran hit a 1-1 fastball that traveled 420 feet into the Mets' bullpen.

The Mets put three more across the plate in the second inning, when Cliff Floyd and Jose Valentin singled to start the frame. Those hits were followed by a surprisingly deep home run off the bat of the diminutive Endy Chavez, who hit a split-finger fastball from Zambrano 415 feet over the right-field wall.

"I was upset with that one," said Zambrano. "I was trying to set him up with a fastball on the next pitch but left the pitch way up in the zone and, against anyone, that would have been an easy one to hit out. And that's what he did."

The homer seemed to wake up Zambrano, as he retired the side in the next inning with two strikeouts and then, with a man on and one out in the fourth, forced Glavine into an inning-ending double play.

"I was really pumped up early on, and I was trying to be too perfect," said Zambrano, who allowed eight hits and five earned runs with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings. "I made adjustments after the second inning and tried to help set up my team for the win."

His best way of helping the team would come later with his homer, but the rest of the Cubs' offense did their part in the third inning. Juan Pierre drew a walk to start the frame, then, on a hit and run, advanced to third when Todd Walker hit a liner in the hole at short, vacated when Mets shortstop Jose Reyes had moved to cover second. Ramirez sent Pierre home with a sacrifice fly, then Nevin reached on a throwing error by Glavine. Matt Murton walked to load the bases, then Jones hit a grounder to third, but David Wright threw home to get Walker.

Henry Blanco followed with a double, sending home all three baserunners to give the Cubs a 5-3 lead, before Ronny Cedeno struck out to end the inning.

"That was very important, to take advantage of the mistake by Glavine and put as many runs on the board as we could there," said Ramirez, who has now homered seven times in his last six games. "With the lineup they have, you have to build on a lead once you get it and score as many times as you can."

Ramirez was right, as the Mets would add a run in the fifth inning before Zambrano got out of the inning with another inning-ending double play. The Mets would go hitless until the ninth inning.

After the Cubs scored twice in the seventh to supposedly put away the game, the Mets threatened to set the world right again for their faithful at Shea. Dempster began the ninth inning and allowed a single to Wright. After he struck out Floyd, he gave up another single to Valentin, and Wright went to third. Pinch-hitter Julio Franco then grounded out to Perez, scoring Wright. After Dempster walked Reyes, Baker pulled the plug on his closer, and Howry came in to finish the job.

Though it was a bit of a reversal in terms of Howry following Dempster, it was typical for both the night and the past two games. Strange they may seem, but the Cubs will take them as normal. And good.