LOS ANGELES—Rafael Furcal hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cubs 3-2 in their series opener.Kershaw (9-4) struck out a season-high 12 — one off his career best — in eight innings, tying his longest outing. The 22-year-old left-hander allowed two runs and seven hits for his second straight win, and didn’t walk anyone for the second time in his career.Jonathan Broxton worked a scoreless ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances and the Dodgers won for the fourth time in six games.All-Star Marlon Byrd went 3 for 4 for the Cubs, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.Byrd was ejected in the ninth inning for arguing a strike call after the first base Umpire rung him up on a check swing attempt.Furcal’s season-long 10-game hitting streak ended in a 4-0 loss to Florida on Wednesday night, when he was hitless in four at-bats, but he picked right back up against the Cubs. He had three hits and got hit by a pitch.His 15th homer came on the first pitch from Randy Wells (4-7). It sailed inches inside the foul pole in right field and gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Russell Martin, who led off with a single and was sacrificed to second, also scored.Furcal has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, batting .500 with 17 runs, four homers and 15 RBI since June 26, two days after Furcal returned from the bereavement list after his father died.Wells gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one in falling to 0-3 against the Dodgers.Furcal had Wells second-guessing himself on the home run pitch.The Dodgers led 1-0 in the first after James Loney’s RBI single scored Furcal, who doubled leading off.The Cubs tied it in the second on Alfonso Soriano’s 15th homer on the first pitch from Kershaw. They took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Geovany Soto’s RBI single.
NOTES—Dodgers LF Manny Ramirez will begin a rehab assignment as a DH with Class-A Inland Empire on Saturday. Torre said Ramirez should be ready to return after the All-Star break. The slugger is on the DL with a strained right hamstring. … The Dodgers took a 1,019-1,017 lead in the all-time series between the teams that began in 1890.