(My Sportsbook) - The Chicago Cubs try to continue their season-long mastery of the Pittsburgh Pirates when the National League Central rivals start a three-game series this evening at PNC Park.

Chicago, which leads the majors with 80 wins and is 4 1/2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Central standings, has won 11 of its 15 matchups with the Bucs this season, including four of the six meetings in the Steel City.

In Pittsburgh's defense, though, the Cubs have beaten a lot of teams this season. On Sunday, Chicago won its eighth straight series with a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the finale of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

Chicago has won eight straight series for the first time since 1937 and at 80-50, is 30 games above .500 for the first time since finishing 96-65 in 1984.

Rich Harden (4-1) was excellent on the mound for the Cubs, as he was touched for just one run on two hits over seven frames. The righty also matched a career-high by fanning 11 batters without issuing a walk to get the win.

Mark DeRosa had a solo homer and has now went deep in four straight games for the Cubs, who are 10-3 over their 13 contests.

Hoping to keep the Cubs in the win column this evening will be left-hander Ted Lilly, who is 12-7 with a 4.25 ERA. Lilly, though, was charged with the loss in his last trip to the hill despite a pretty solid effort.

The Cincinnati Reds managed just two runs and two hits off Lilly in Chicago's 2-1 loss on Wednesday. It was his first setback since he fell to the Reds back on July 10.

Lilly defeated the Pirates the last time he faced them and is 2-0 against them with a 4.74 ERA in eight games (6 starts) for his career.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is headed towards its 15th consecutive losing season and lost for the fourth straight time on Sunday, as it was swept in a three- game series by the Brewers. The Pirates fell by a 4-3 count in 12 innings in yesterday's finale.

Paul Maholm went six innings for Pittsburgh and allowed two runs on a career- high 12 hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Jason Davis (1-4) received the loss after giving up the game-winning hit in the 12th.

Nyjer Morgan went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Ryan Doumit added two hits with an RBI for the Pirates, who have lost eight of 10.

Getting the call for the Pirates tonight will be righty Jeff Karstens, who has lost his last two starts after winning his initial two outings with Pittsburgh in impressive fashion.

Acquired from the New York Yankees as part of the package that landed outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte in the Bronx, Karstens defeated the Cubs in his first start with the Pirates, scattering five hits over six scoreless innings.

Karstens followed up that effort with an even better one, as he tossed a two- hit shutout to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 6.

He hasn't won since, though, and fell to 2-2 when he was charged with the loss against the New York Mets on August 17. He allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings.