Chicago @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 2, LA Dodgers 3
Rafael Furcal had a couple of streaks end Wednesday. He wasted no time starting new ones.
Furcal was back to getting hits and scoring runs Thursday when he went 3-for-3, scored twice and hit the game-winning two-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a four-game series that continues Friday.
The Dodgers shortstop had seen a 10-game hitting streak and a 12-game runs scored streak ended by Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson, but he was back to terrorizing opponents 24 hours later.
Even with Wednesday’s 0-for-4 effort, Furcal is batting .500 (25-for-50) over his last 12 games. He has scored 19 runs in 14 games.
Furcal had a part in all three Dodgers runs on Thursday. He doubled in the first inning and scored on James Loney’s double prior to hitting the decisive seventh-inning homer that barely stayed fair down the right-field line.
Furcal has been on fire since the middle of June. He was hitting .288 before going 5-for-6 against the Cincinnati Reds on June 15.
Three-plus weeks later, Furcal’s average sits at .339. Thursday’s homer was his sixth of the season.
Furcal will strive to keep his hot-hitting ways going when the Cubs sent left-hander Ted Lilly to the mound.
Lilly was downright awful in his last start, getting hammered for nine runs and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings by the Cincinnati Reds. Lilly allowed four homers to raise his season total to 15.
The pounding left Lilly with a 3-7 record and 3.76 earned-run average.
However, one of Lilly’s top efforts of the season came May 27 against the Dodgers when he threw three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings. He wasn’t involved in the decision of a game the Cubs won 1-0.
Lilly is 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA in seven career outings against the Dodgers and has fared well against Andre Ethier (0-for-8), Loney (0-for-9) and Furcal (2-for-11).
Chad Billingsley starts will oppose Lilly. He’s making his third start since coming off the disabled list with a groin injury.
Billingsley (6-4, 4.06 ERA) hasn’t won since beating the Cubs on May 26, a stretch of five starts. Billingsley gave up three runs – two earned – and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings to Chicago.
The right-hander allowed just one run and struck out eight in six innings against Arizona in his most recent start but wasn’t involved in the decision.
Billingsley is 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA in seven outings against the Cubs. Chicago second baseman Ryan Theriot has been a thorn in Billingsley’s side with a .545 (6-for-11) career average.
Meanwhile, Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez is slated to start a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday and is expected to return after the All-Star break. Ramirez is on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.
Chicago left fielder Alfonso Soriano was in the lineup Thursday, one night after being hit in the elbow with a pitch. Soriano hit his team-leading 15th homer of the season.