CHICAGO -- Ronny Cedeno wasn't supposed to start, but he came through with a clutch, two-out, two-run single. Felix Pie has spent the last week watching more video of his swing than the actual games, and he delivered a three-run homer. And Kosuke Fukudome did exactly what he's been doing since Day 1, keeping an inning alive with a single after a 10-pitch at-bat.

All of that came in the eighth inning Monday night, a confidence booster for the Cubs, as they posted a 7-1 win over the New York Mets.

Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer, and Pie added his three-run shot to back Carlos Zambrano and power the Cubs, now 13-6 to open the season for the first time since 1985. Think about it: In April 2007, the Cubs won 10 games.

"These kids are playing ball," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "The confidence has slowly been building. We just have to go out and play. It's good to see. We still have a ways to go. We're pleased with the progress, and we just have to keep going."

Zambrano (3-1) scattered five hits, walked two and struck out four over seven innings. He was grooving his sinker at the right time, inducing four double plays.

"When my sinker is going good, which is my best pitch, I throw it in any situation, like ground ball or strikeout," Zambrano said. "It's good to have a good sinker. That was basically what I did today was use my sinker."

Ramirez homered in the fourth, driving in Derrek Lee, who had singled. The Cubs third baseman launched the first pitch from John Maine (1-2) into the bleachers in left-center. Maine struck out six and gave up five hits over six innings.

The Mets closed to 2-1 in the sixth, when Endy Chavez doubled, advanced on a sacrifice and scored as Jose Reyes hit into a double play.

Then came the Chicago eighth. Reyes couldn't get his glove on Lee's grounder to start the inning for an error, and Ramirez was hit by a pitch by Aaron Heilman. Fukudome outlasted Heilman in a 10-pitch at-bat and singled to load the bases. The Japanese outfielder leads the Major Leagues, seeing 4.58 pitches per plate appearance.

"It came from my lack of ability to connect on a ball that could've been hit for a base hit," Fukudome said through interpreter Ryuji Araki. "That's why I fouled a lot of the pitches."

It seems like the rest of the Cubs are more patient this year, too. Maybe they're copying him?

"Perhaps it just seems that way," Fukudome said.

Mark DeRosa then struck out, and Geovany Soto popped up. Cedeno, starting in place of Ryan Theriot, whose back locked up before the game, had another good at-bat, which ended with a two-run single to center for a 4-1 lead.

"I saw DeRosa and Soto swing too hard in that situation, so I tried to keep my swing more short," Cedeno said. "This guy [Heilman] has good stuff. I said, 'I'll take it to the middle,' and that's what I did, was take it to the middle."

Heilman exited, and Pie greeted Jorge Sosa with his first home run. The young outfielder pumped his fist as he ran the bases. He hasn't started since April 15, as the Cubs try to improve his swing.

"It's a good feeling -- something in my life I'll never forget," Pie said.

"He's been working hard over the last week to 10 days," Piniella said. "He's got to feel really good tonight, and I'm happy for him."

The Cubs are feeling pretty good about themselves, too.

"We took the word of our manager when he said we need a fresh start, we need to play good right away at the beginning of the season," Zambrano said. "You can see teams like Milwaukee and St. Louis doing their jobs. We can't worry about them, we have to worry about ourselves and do our job -- and be in first place from now, and finish in first place."