LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers will attempt a sweep on Sunday. Despite the focus on vanquishing the Chicago Cubs again, outfielder Andre Ethier admitted that he and his teammates are already anticipating a showdown with the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

"Tomorrow is the most important game of the year and that series is definitely the most important of the year," Ethier said. "We still have one big (game) tomorrow. We can't look ahead."

A four-run rally in the seventh inning boosted the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory over the Cubs before 51,697 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.

The seventh-inning surge pushed the National League West-leading Dodgers (72-56) 3 1/2 games ahead of the Giants, who fell 6-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

Reliever J.P. Howell (5-1) struck out the only hitter he faced as Los Angeles captured its fifth straight win. Closer Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth for his 27th save in 29 chances.

Chicago (73-55) lost its fourth game in a row but remained 4 1/2 games ahead of the Giants for the NL's second wild-card spot.

Second baseman Jose Peraza initiated the seventh-inning rally with a run-scoring double -- his first major league RBI – to bring home left fielder Carl Crawford to tie the score at 2 with no outs.

Ethier followed with a go-ahead, two-run single for a 4-2 Los Angeles cushion. That chased Jon Lester (8-10), who gave up five runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in six-plus innings.

"I don't know if they changed their approach or what, but it seemed like they were more willing to take the ball the other way that last inning," said Lester, who is 1-2 in his career against the Dodgers. "We did a bad job of recognizing that a little bit sooner.

"I usually don't watch things when I'm done pitching, but I went back and watched it. Sometimes you've got to tip your hat and their approach was just a little bit different, and they hit a ball where our guys weren't standing."

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez added an RBI single for the final Los Angeles run.

The Cubs threatened in the eighth against reliever Jim Johnson. However, with the bases loaded and one out, Johnson induced shortstop Addison Russell to ground into an inning-ending double play.

"We just have not gotten on the right end of the stick," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We haven't hit the ball very well on this trip."

Dodgers starter Mat Latos, who hadn't pitched since Aug. 13, surrendered two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. Latos said the inactivity didn't help him.

"It's a long season, but every start you make you kind of build off every start," said Latos, who served up five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in his last start, a 10-3 setback to the Cincinnati Reds, before the Dodgers demoted him to the bullpen.

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, who struck out four times in Friday night's 4-1 loss, led off the second inning with a single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. A wild pitch by Latos allowed Bryant to reach third. Bryant scored on a sacrifice fly by Russell for a 1-0 lead.

Dodgers center fielder Enrique Hernandez's infield single, driving in Peraza, knotted the score at 1 with two outs in the third.

Chicago regained the lead in the fifth when Latos balked home Russell for a 2-1 advantage. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly contested the ruling by second base umpire Jim Joyce, but the call stood.

"It was a questionable call," Latos said. "I think they got it wrong. I didn't want something like that to cost us a ballgame."

NOTES: The Dodgers topped 3 million in attendance for the fourth consecutive year. ... Dodgers INF Chase Utley, who primarily plays second base, fielded ground balls at third before the game. Utley, who has never played third professionally, could be used at the position when injured 2B Howie Kendrick (hamstring) returns from the 15-day disabled list, manager Don Mattingly said. ... The Cubs entered Saturday's game with an 18-7 record in August, which was tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets for the best in the National League. ... Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta (16-6, 2.22 ERA), who is 5-0 with a 0.54 ERA in five starts in August, will face Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (9-8, 3.70) in the series finale Sunday.