(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs swung a hot bat on their recent homestand and carried that momentum to the road. The club shoots for its third straight win as it resumes a three-game set with the Houston Astros tonight.

The Cubs wrapped up a recent homestand with an 8-2 record and outscored their opponents 60-33 over that span. Chicago didn't slow down once it hit the road on Monday, posting a 7-2 victory over the Astros.

Aramis Ramirez had three hits, including a two-run homer, while Geovany Soto added a three-run inside-the-park homer for the Cubs, who have won five of six overall.

Mark DeRosa went 2-for-4 for Chicago, extending his hit streak to 10 games, Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee each scored a run and drove one in. DeRosa is batting .457 (16-for-35) over his run.

Alfonso Soriano, though, went 0-for-4 to end his nine-game hit streak.

Ted Lilly (5-4) won his fourth straight start after he held the Astros to two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings of work, and had six strikeouts to two walks.

Ryan Dempster's transition from the bullpen to a starting role has been a smooth one, and the Cubs hope he can improve on his 5-1 mark with tonight's start. Dempster had saved 85 games over the previous three seasons for the Cubs, but had an earned run average in the high fours in each of the last two campaigns.

The right-hander is sporting a 2.35 ERA over nine starts this season and hurled 8 1/3 shutout innings on Thursday versus the Padres. He struck out a career-high 12 in the outing and seemed poised for a complete game before giving up a double and a single around a strikeout in the ninth to end his day.

The Cubs are 7-2 when Dempster starts this year, and the hurler is 3-7 with a 4.88 ERA and 16 saves in 37 career outings versus Houston, including 11 starts.

Lance Berkman will try to get back on track for the Astros tonight. Berkman had a 17-game hitting streak halted in yesterday's loss after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Berkman hit .545 (36-for-66) with eight homers and 21 RBI over his run, and is hitting .294 (10-for-34) in his career versus Dempster with four homers and seven RBI.

Michael Bourn and Carlos Lee each had two hits and drove in a run for Houston, which has lost three of its last four. Hunter Pence's hit streak ended at 16 games after his 0-for-4 showing.

Brian Moehler (1-1) got the start for Houston and absorbed the loss after he was touched for three runs on seven hits in five innings of work.

Chris Sampson starts for the Astros tonight and struggled last time out. The right-hander gave up seven runs (5 earned) on 10 hits over six innings Thursday in San Francisco, putting his club in an early 6-0 hole. However, the Astros plated five runs in the final two innings to walk away with an 8-7 win and get Sampson a no-decision.

Sampson's struggles against the Giants came just five days after he hurled seven shutout innings in a win over the Dodgers. On the year, he is 2-3 with a 6.46 ERA.

The righty faced the Cubs on April 4 and didn't factor into the decision of his team's 4-3 win. Sampson allowed two runs -- both coming on a Soto single -- and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA in five games (3 starts) lifetime versus Chicago.

Chicago won two of three over Houston when the clubs met at Wrigley Field in early April, and has won seven of its last nine versus the Astros.