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(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs try to continue their season-long mastery of the Pittsburgh Pirates this evening, when the National League Central rivals resume their three-game series at PNC Park.

Chicago, which leads the majors with 81 wins and is five games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Central standings, has won 12 of its 16 matchups with the Bucs this season, including five of the seven meetings in the Steel City.

That trend continued in this series opener on Monday, as Aramis Ramirez clubbed a three-run homer and Kosuke Fukudome drove in four runs, helping Chicago to a 12-3 win.

Fukudome, Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee each collected three hits in the victory, while Jim Edmonds went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, an RBI and two runs scored for the Cubs, who are 11-3 over their last 14 overall contests.

Ted Lilly (13-7) gave up three runs on seven hits over seven innings to get the win. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one.

Adam LaRoche had a two-run homer and Brandon Moss added a solo shot for the Pirates, who have dropped five games in a row.

Jeff Karstens (2-3) was saddled with the loss, tagged for five runs on six hits in just three innings of work. Jason Davis was rocked for five runs on five hits in two innings of relief.

The Cubs hope righty Carlos Zambrano can keep them on the winning track this evening, when the ace pitcher tries to string back-to-back wins together. Zambrano bounced back from a pair of rough outings to defeat the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, surrendering a run and six hits in seven innings to run his record to 13-5 and lower his earned run average to 3.29.

Zambrano has faced the Pirates 23 times (21 starts) over the course of his career and is 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA against them.

Pittsburgh will counter with right-hander Ian Snell, who is 5-10 with a 5.60 ERA. Snell had his best effort of the season last Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, as he scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings to nail down the win. He also struck out eight and walked just one batter.

Snell is 1-5 lifetime against the Cubs with a 5.53 ERA in 10 games, eight of which have been starts.

With a win tonight the Cubs will lock up their ninth straight winning series of two or more games - something they have not done since taking 10 in a row in 1907.