CHICAGO (Interstat) — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs led 7-1 entering the eighth. Shohei Ohtani homered twice, including a three-run shot in the eighth, and Max Muncy hit a three-run homer in the same inning to pull the Dodgers within one. Ohtani finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs. Muncy had three RBIs. Crow-Armstrong homered in the first and fourth and also doubled in a run in the second. Dansby Swanson doubled in a run, and Nico Hoerner drove in a run in the seventh. Shota Imanaga allowed one earned run over five innings to earn the win. Eric Lauer took the loss. Jacob Webb earned his sixth save. Chicago compiled 15 hits, while Los Angeles had 14. The Cubs improved to 66-49; the Dodgers dropped to 69-46. Attendance was 38,691, and the game took 3:04.

CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to snap a five-game losing streak Wednesday at Wrigley Field, where they close a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers (69-45) have dropped the first two games of this series, including Tuesday’s 5-1 loss. They also were swept at home by Boston over the weekend. Los Angeles will start left-hander Eric Lauer (6-5), while the Cubs counter with left-hander Shota Imanaga (8-9). Tuesday’s loss featured a solid outing from Tarik Skubal, who allowed two earned runs over six innings with six strikeouts. Kyle Tucker went 2 for 3 with a home run and an RBI for the Dodgers, and Jack Dreyer struck out one in a scoreless appearance. The Cubs (65-50) have won two straight after taking Monday’s game 10-5. Javier Assad has been a bright spot, winning four of his last five starts. In Tuesday’s 5-1 victory, he allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. Nico Hoerner homered and drove in two, and Dansby Swanson went 3 for 4 with a homer and an RBI. Chicago enters the series finale with momentum. The Cubs took two of three at Dodger Stadium in April, and their two wins this week give them a 3-2 lead in the season series. Chicago has also been strong at home, with a balanced lineup and reliable bullpen work during this stretch. The forecast calls for clear skies and 85 degrees at first pitch. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 Cubs win, though Interstat’s ELO system gives the Dodgers a 52.4 percent chance of victory. Chicago has been installed as a 1.5-run favorite, and the over/under is 9.5. For Los Angeles, stopping the slide starts with Lauer finding his form against a Cubs order that has scored 15 runs in the first two games of this series. The Dodgers, who began the season among the top teams in the National League, are looking to avoid a sweep that would further tighten the NL West race. The Cubs, meanwhile, can complete a three-game sweep and continue climbing in the NL Central. Imanaga will need to keep the Dodgers’ offense off balance, particularly after Los Angeles hitters have struggled to string together hits since the All-Star break. After Wednesday, the Dodgers travel to Arizona to open a series against the Diamondbacks on Friday. The Cubs stay home to host Toronto on Thursday.