Alex Bregman hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Saturday.
Carson Kelly added a solo shot and Michael Busch had three hits for Chicago, which won for the fourth time in its last six games.
Drew Pomeranz (2-3) pitched the sixth inning to record the win despite allowing a run on two hits. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb each tossed a scoreless frame before the Reds put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth against Ryan Rolison.
Elly De La Cruz stole second base before Trent Thornton got Sal Stewart to ground out to second for his third save.
Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Suarez and JJ Bleday each hit solo homers for Cincinnati, which has lost five of its last eight games.
With the score 3-3 and one out in the seventh, the Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki drew a one-out walk off Julian Garcia (0-2) before Bregman followed with his eighth homer.
The Reds opened the scoring with one out in the fourth inning against Javier Assad on back-to-back homers by Lowe and Suarez.
Lowe’s 381-foot shot was his first homer and RBI since May 29. Suarez followed with his 10th homer, a 370-foot liner to right-center field.
Assad gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. The right-hander struck out four with no walks.
Chicago got on the board with a run in the fifth against left-hander Nick Lodolo. With two runners on and two outs, Miguel Amaya scored from second on Suzuki’s single.
Lodolo exited the game with a blister on his left index finger after allowing Kelly’s leadoff homer in the sixth inning. Lodolo was making his 12th start since beginning the season on the injured list with blister issues.
Caleb Ferguson entered and was greeted by a single from Busch, who came around to score on Ian Happ’s one-out double to left field.
Lodolo yielded two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts over five-plus innings.
Cincinnati pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on Bleday’s leadoff homer against Pomeranz. Bleday’s homer was his 16th this season and second in as many games.
–Field Level Media
