Michael Busch hit a two-run homer and singled in a run as the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 7-3 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.

Nico Hoerner had three hits and two RBIs for Chicago, which won for the sixth time in its last seven games. Pete Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-4 with an RBI, two stolen bases and three runs.

Jameson Taillon (5-3) won his third straight start, allowing two runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and singled for Cincinnati, which was outhit 10-4 and lost for the third time in its last four games.

The Cubs built a 4-0 lead against Nick Martinez (3-6) in the third inning. Kyle Tucker hit a ground-rule double with one out and scored on Crow-Armstrong’s two-out single.

Dansby Swanson followed with an RBI double before Busch capped the rally with a two-run shot to right-center field for his eighth homer of the season.

Tucker exited the game at the end of the fourth inning with a jammed right ring finger.

Chicago added to its lead with a run in the fifth inning. Crow-Armstrong hit a one-out single and stole second base. With two outs, Brent Suter replaced Martinez and allowed Busch’s run-scoring single to right field.

Martinez gave up five runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Cincinnati got on the board in the sixth inning on De La Cruz’s team-leading 12th homer, a two-run shot that landed just inside the right field foul pole.

The Cubs capitalized on a pair of errors to extend their lead in the seventh. After Busch was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs, Hoerner delivered a two-run single.

Cincinnati pushed a run across in the ninth on Tyler Stephenson’s sacrifice fly. The Reds recorded a total of three runs and five hits in the last two games after opening the series with a 6-2 victory on Friday.

–Field Level Media