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Reds-Cubs Preview

Jul 25, 2009 - 10:34 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Cincinnati (44-51) at Chicago (49-45), 2:20 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Cubs were hoping Aramis Ramirez's return from the disabled list would spark a sputtering offense. It's taken a little time, but the slugger finally appears to have regained his power stroke.

Ramirez looks to continue his surge at the plate and help the Cubs sweep a three-game series from the slumping Cincinnati Reds for the first time in more than eight years on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

Ramirez went on the DL with a dislocated left shoulder on May 8 and Chicago (50-45) was 24-26 without its two-time All-Star third baseman. Activated on July 6, he batted .190 (8 for 42) with one home run and two RBIs in his first 11 games, but has been red-hot lately.

Ramirez homered for the second straight game in Saturday's 5-3 win, and is 7 for 12 with three doubles and seven RBIs in his last three contests - all Chicago victories.

"I feel good at the plate right now," Ramirez said.

Alfonso Soriano has also been heating up after struggling for much of the season. He had two singles and a solo homer Saturday and is 13 for 29 (.448) with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last seven games after going 121 at-bats without a homer, the second-longest dry spell of his career.

The Cubs, who have won nine of 12, need Ramirez and Soriano to continue carrying the offense.

All-Star pitcher Ted Lilly (left shoulder inflammation) was placed on the 15-day DL Saturday is expected to miss three weeks, while first baseman Derrek Lee could miss the finale with back spasms.

"Everybody's stepping up," Lee said. "That's what it's going to take to get through injuries. I think we have a good team and we're starting to show it."

To go for their first three-game sweep over the Reds (44-52) since May 28-30, 2001, the Cubs turn to Rich Harden (6-6, 4.76 ERA).

Harden has yielded just two runs and seven hits over 13 innings in his last two starts. Both were on the road, where he's 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in seven games.

At home, the right-hander is 2-5 with a 7.59 ERA in nine starts and has been tagged for 18 runs and 21 hits over 12 innings in his last three outings there.

One of Harden's few decent home starts came against Cincinnati. On April 21, he allowed two runs and three hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of a 7-2 win to improve to 3-0 in his career versus the Reds.

While the Cubs appear to be turning things around, Cincinnati has lost five in a row and is 4-13 since July 5.

The Reds have failed to come up with key hits, going 11 for 57 (.193) with runners in scoring position in their last seven contests.

"We're just in a bad way right now," manager Dusty Baker said. "Not playing real good, a lot of things aren't going our way."

Baker next gives the ball to Micah Owings (6-10, 5.33), who looks to bounce back from a couple of shaky outings.

After surrendering seven runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings of a 9-6 loss at Philadelphia on July 9 in his final start before the All-Star break, Owings permitted seven runs and nine hits in five innings of a 7-5 loss to the Dodgers on Monday.

The right-hander has lost both starts against the Cubs this season, yielding seven runs - four earned - in 10 2-3 innings.