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Busch hits RBI single in 10th as Cubs beat Reds 3-2 for seventh straight win

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch singled in the winning run in the 10th inning after hitting a tying homer in the eighth and the Chicago Cubs won their seventh straight by rallying again to beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Busch won it when his grounder up the middle leading off the 10th against Sam Moll (1-2) handcuffed shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Dansby Swanson scored from second, giving the Cubs their 17th win in 20 games. They’ve won 13 straight at home, their best streak at Wrigley Field since a 14-game run in 2008.

The Cubs scored two in the ninth on Monday to beat the Reds, who have lost a season-high five in a row.

Reds closer Emilio Pagán came in to start the ninth and fell to the ground clutching his left hamstring after throwing one pitch to Nico Hoerner. He stayed down for several minutes before leaving the field on a cart.

Jose Franco walked Hoerner before retiring Alex Bregman on a line drive to left. Ian Happ then walked, putting runners on first and second. But Franco got out of the jam by retiring Seiya Suzuki on a pop to second and Swanson on a fly to right.

JJ Bleday gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the first with a drive to right for his second homer in as many nights. Nathaniel Lowe chased Cubs starter Jameson Taillon in the sixth with a drive that made it 2-0. Andrew Abbott pitched shutout ball into the sixth, allowing four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Taillon gave up two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Ryan Rolison (3-0) worked the 10th.

Bregman cut it to 2-1 with an RBI single in the seventh against Connor Phillips. Busch tied it in the eighth with a 427-foot drive to right-center against Tony Santillan. But the Cubs lost for just the fourth time in 20 games.

Up next

RHP Brady Singer (2-2, 5.57 ERA) starts for Cincinnati and RHP Colin Rea (4-1, 4.41) pitches for Chicago. ___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Michael Conforto comes through in a pinch as streaking Cubs rally in 9th for 5-4 win over Reds

CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto capped a two-run ninth inning with a solo homer, and the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Monday night for their sixth straight victory.

Seiya Suzuki hit a 455-foot home run for the NL Central leaders, who improved to 23-12 with their 16th win in 19 games. Chicago has won 12 in a row at home, the team’s best streak at Wrigley Field since a 14-game run in 2008.

The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the eighth when Spencer Steer lined an RBI single against Ben Brown, only to drop their fourth straight.

Pete Crow-Armstrong tripled leading off the ninth against Emilio Pagán (2-1) on a ball that popped out of center fielder Dane Myers’ glove as he tried to make a leaping catch against the wall. Crow-Armstrong scored one out later on Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly.

Conforto, batting for Matt Shaw, then drove a 3-2 pitch to center and was mobbed by happy teammates as he crossed home plate.

The teams waited out a delay of 1 hour, 40 minutes at the start because of a thunderstorm after the game was initially moved up a half hour.

The Cubs trailed 3-0 in the fourth before Suzuki tied it with a three-run drive off Chase Petty, Chicago’s longest homer of the season.

Edward Cabrera went six innings, allowing three runs and nine hits. He gave up a homer to JJ Bleday leading off the third and a two-run drive to Ke’Bryan Hayes in the fourth.

Ryan Rolison (2-0) worked the ninth.

In his first major league start this season, Petty gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Reds recalled the right-hander from Triple-A Louisville prior to the game.

Up next

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-1, 4.41 ERA) looks to win his second straight start, while LHP Andrew Abbott (1-2, 5.97) gets the ball for the Reds. Taillon tossed seven solid innings at San Diego last week.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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