Spencer Steer clubbed a two-run homer for one of his two hits, rookie Matt McLain had four with one RBI and Nick Senzel drove in two as the Cincinnati Reds completed a three-game road sweep of the Chicago Cubs with Sunday’s 8-5 victory.

Tied 3-3 in the fifth, Cincinnati’s TJ Friedl (two hits) lined a pinch-hit, RBI double to right field off Chicago reliever Jeremiah Estrada, and Kevin Newman drew a bases-loaded walk to give Cincinnati a two-run cushion. Steer padded that advantage in the sixth on his ball into the left-field bleachers with a man on for Cincinnati.

The Reds totaled 25 runs and 45 hits, including 14 doubles, to sweep their first road series of at least three games since June 14-16, 2021.

Reds starter Graham Ashcraft (3-3) wasn’t efficient, but kept the Cubs to only Patrick Wisdom’s three-run, second-inning homer. He also yielded four other hits and three walks, while striking out six, to earn his first victory since April 15.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s Drew Smyly (5-2) was charged with five runs — his most since giving up six earned in his season debut April 3 — and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Wisdom also knocked a two-run homer, his 14th on the season, in the eighth, and Mike Tauchman added three hits for Chicago, which has been outscored 35-11 during its four-game skid.

With one out in the second, Cincinnati’s Stuart Fairchild doubled, stole third and scored on Senzel’s single past a drawn-in infield. Senzel went to third on Newman’s single and scored on Jake Fraley’s groundout to first base for a 2-0 Reds lead.

However, the Cubs pushed ahead in the bottom of the frame. Seiya Suzuki walked and eventually went to third on Tauchman’s two-out single. Wisdom then sent an Ashcraft pitch to the top of the left-field bleachers for his first homer since May 10.

The Reds tied it in the third with back-to-back doubles by Jonathan India and McLain, who is batting .380 in 12 games since making his MLB debut on May 15.

–Field Level Media