Reds fall to Cubs

Published 2:07 pm Thursday, May 18, 2017

CHICAGO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs apiece, and the Chicago Cubs handed the sloppy Cincinnati Reds their season-high fifth straight loss with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night.

Kyle Hendricks (3-2) pitched six effective innings and drove in a run as Chicago improved to 22-5 in its last 27 games against Cincinnati. Ben Zobrist reached three times with two hits and a walk in his return to the lineup after missing two games with lower back tightness.

Zack Cozart had three hits and two RBIs for Cincinnati, but Adam Duvall committed a big error in left field and the Reds missed a couple more plays on defense that led to productive innings for the Cubs. Cozart connected for a solo shot in the third that extended his Wrigley Field homer streak to five games, matching a record for any player at the iconic ballpark.

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Cozart put Cincinnati in front with an RBI single in the first, but Chicago went ahead to stay with five runs in the second against Scott Feldman (2-4).

Reds first baseman Joey Votto tried for a backhand stab on Schwarber’s hard-hit grounder, but it skipped by him for a tiebreaking two-run single. Rizzo’s two-run single went off the glove of second baseman Jose Peraza in shallow right field, helping the Cubs open a 5-1 lead.

Chicago added two unearned runs in the third after Duvall misplayed Miguel Montero’s fly ball for Cincinnati’s NL-low 17th error. Hendricks drove in Zobrist with a well-placed sacrifice bunt, and Jon Jay added an RBI single.

Feldman allowed seven runs, five earned, and five hits in 2 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the season. The right-hander was 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his previous two outings.

Cincinnati pulled within two on Eugenio Suarez’s two-run double in the seventh, but Chicago’s bullpen shut the door from there. Carl Edwards Jr. worked a perfect eighth and Wade Davis got three outs for his ninth save.