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Final Score: Chicago Cubs 12 - Pittsburgh 3

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Aramis Ramirez clubbed a three-run homer and Kosuke Fukudome drove in four runs, as the Chicago Cubs pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates, 12-3, in the opener of a three-game series from PNC Park.

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 contests. Fukudome, Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee each collected three hits in the victory.

Chicago leads the majors with 81 wins and is five games ahead of the idle Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the NL Central.

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

"(The pitching has) been doing a great job, I mean they really have been," Edmonds said. "We got a bunch of guys who know what they are doing. They (have) been around the league a little bit and can pitch. They're all feeding off each other and doing a great job. It's fun to watch."

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.

"Just one of those days. My effort was poor," Karstens said. "It's hard for (the Pirates) to play when they are down 5-0, especially after the third inning. It wasn't good overall."

The Cubs began the assault in the second. Edmonds led off with a triple to snap an 0-for-18 skid at the plate and later scored on a Fukudome sacrifice fly. Chicago then erupted for four runs in the third.

Following a walk by Ryan Theriot, Lee punched a base hit to center, plating Soriano, who had a one-out single and stole a couple of bases. Ramirez followed with a blast to the left field seats for a 5-0 Cubs lead.

Moss' two-out shot to right-center put Pittsburgh on the board in the fourth, but the Cubs extended their lead further in the next inning. Theriot began the frame with a single, swiped second and advanced to third on Lee's two-bagger. Ramirez then walked and a wild pitch by Davis allowed Theriot to score and Lee to move up to third.

Edmonds followed with an RBI double and Mark DeRosa walked to load the bases for Fukudome, who ripped a two-run single into left field. One out later, Lilly capped the five-run surge with a run-scoring single.

The Pirates got two runs back in the sixth on LaRoche's 18th home run of the season.

An RBI groundout by pinch-hitter Henry Blanco made it an 11-3 game in the eighth, and Fukudome's RBI double in the ninth accounted for the final margin.