Chicago @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( May 27, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 0, Chi. Cubs 1

Aramis Ramirez is finally showing signs of breaking out of a season-long funk – and it can’t come soon enough for the struggling Chicago Cubs.

The Chicago third baseman will look to continue his recent hot hitting Thursday when the Cubs begin a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ramirez has three homers and seven RBIs over the last two games and has risen his sagging batting average 24 points since June 25. He hit a three-run homer Wednesday as the Cubs finished off a road sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The previous night, Ramirez belted two homers for his multi-homer game since Aug. 23, 2008.

Hitting has been a season-long issue for Ramirez. His batting average fell below .200 on April 10 and he hasn’t come close to moving past that barrier since.

But the suddenly hot Ramirez is hitting .300 (12-of-40) over the last 10 games to raise his average from .165 to .189. He has nine homers on the season and four of them have come during the recent stretch.

The Cubs need Ramirez to stay hot to have any chance of making a second-half charge in the National League Central race. The 32-year-old Ramirez has four 30-homer seasons and five 100-RBI campaigns during a major-league career that began in 1999.

Ramirez helped the Cubs sweep the Diamondbacks, the team’s first series sweep since taking three games from the Milwaukee Brewers in April.

It also improved the Cubs’ mark against NL West teams to 10-2 and they’ll strive to keep the success going against the Dodgers.

Los Angeles will start left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who lost to Chicago earlier this season despite allowing just one unearned run over six innings.

Kershaw (8-4) has won seven of his last nine decisions and has a 3.02 earned-run average. He has 116 strikeouts and has fanned seven or more hitters in 11 of his 17 starts.

Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal went 0-for-4 against Florida Marlins All-Star Josh Johnson on Wednesday to end two streaks – a 10-game hitting streak and a 12-game runs scored streak.

Furcal batted .512 (22-for-43) during his hitting streak. He’s batting .330 on the season.

Randy Wells starts for the Cubs. He has lost both his career starts to the Dodgers despite giving up just two earned runs in 13 2/3 innings.

Wells beat Cincinnati in his last start to record his first victory since April 30. He went 0-6 with five no-decisions in 11 starts over May and June.

Overall, Wells is 4-6 with a 4.67 ERA.

Chicago left fielder Alfonso Soriano left Wednesday’s game with Arizona after being plunked on the left elbow with a pitch in the fifth inning. He is expected to play Thursday against the Dodgers.

Soriano leads the Cubs in homers (14) and RBIs (41).