CHICAGO (AP) — Burke Badenhop’s consecutive innings streak without allowing a home run ended at an unfortunate time for the Cincinnati Reds.

Kyle Schwarber hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the Reds 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Schwarber sent a drive deep into the bleachers in left-center field on a 3-2 pitch from Badenhop (1-4) with two outs and Dexter Fowler on first base.

Before Schwarber’s blast, Badenhop had gone 49 2-3 innings without giving up a homer — the fourth-longest active streak in the majors.

“That’s why he’s in the game,” Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said of Badenhop.

“Other than (closer Aroldis) Chapman, we don’t have a left-handed situational guy. We’ve been using Badenhop, really, as a left-handed specialist who gets right-handers out as well and he keeps the ball in the park.”

Not this time.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon felt the key for Schwarber, who was in a 1-for-15 slump, was walking in the fourth inning.

“The moment he walked I said ‘When you’re walking you’re hitting,”’ Maddon said.

“He needed to accept the walk right there and really just calm his feet down. He’s been really jumpy at the plate and when you do that you get away from your hands.”

Schwarber finished 2 for 3 with the hits coming in the two at-bats following the walk.

Kris Bryant drove in two runs for Chicago, which had lost five of six but is still in good shape for its first playoff berth since 2008.

The Cubs entered play Tuesday 5 1-2 games ahead of San Francisco for the NL’s second wild card spot.

In five innings, Dan Haren of the Cubs gave up two runs and four hits while striking out four. Joey Votto’s first-inning drive gave Haren nine consecutive appearances allowing at least one home run.

Hector Rondon picked up his 25th save in 29 tries. Fernando Rodney (6-5) allowed Eugenio Suarez’s homer in the seventh that gave the Reds a short-lived 4-3 lead but won his first game since the Cubs acquired him from Seattle on Aug. 27.

Votto, whose homer was his 26th, reached base three times.

Anthony DeSclafani went 5 2-3 innings and gave up three runs and four hits while striking out seven and walking two for the Reds, remaining winless since Aug. 4.

DeSclafani’s last pitch was Bryant’s single with two outs in the sixth that brought Chicago within 3-2. With runners on first and second, Sam LeCure allowed Miguel Montero’s game-tying single before Javier Baez grounded out to end the inning.

It was a hot, humid night and DeSclafani said he tired in the sixth.

“Yeah, I started feeling it a little bit in the sixth inning,” he said. “My calves started to cramp a little. But it’s hot out there for everybody. It’s as simple as making pitches that inning and getting the guys off the field. I kept them out there way too long.”

REDS CALL-UPS

The Reds recalled two players from Triple-A Louisville — C Ramon Cabrera and RHP Carlos Contreras — when rosters expanded. Price said more players will be added once the minor league season ends on Sept. 7, but not everyone on the 40-man roster will be promoted.

“There are some guys that have struggled and will not be here,” he said. “I think coming to the big leagues should be a reward for performance, not just to fill a roster spot.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: OF Yorman Rodriguez likely would have been promoted from Triple-A Louisville when the rosters expanded, but the 23-year-old has been sidelined since July 26 with a left calf strain. His status for the remainder of the season is uncertain.

Cubs: C David Ross was activated off the family medical emergency leave list.

UP NEXT

Reds RHP Raisel Iglesias faces Chicago RHP Jason Hammel. Iglesias (3-6, 3.92) has six straight quality starts, while Hammel (7-6, 3.42) is coming off an August when he was 1-2 with a 6.31 ERA.

 

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Bourgeois cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .253

Bruce rf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .231

Votto 1b 3 1 2 2 1 0 .315

Phillips 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .285

Frazier 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .262

De Jesus Jr. lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .257

Suarez ss 4 1 1 1 0 1 .280

Barnhart c 3 1 1 0 0 1 .273

DeSclafani p 2 0 1 1 0 1 .167

LeCure p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

b-Schumaker ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .223

Badenhop p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Ju.Diaz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Totals 33 4 7 4 1 11

 

Chicago (NL) AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Fowler cf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .257

Schwarber lf 3 3 2 2 1 1 .270

Denorfia lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258

Coghlan rf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .249

Strop p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

H.Rondon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Rizzo 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .281

Bryant 3b 4 0 3 2 0 0 .269

M.Montero c 4 0 2 1 0 1 .237

J.Baez 2b-ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Haren p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .128

a-La Stella ph-2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .160

A.Russell ss 2 0 0 0 0 2 .242

Richard p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .091

Grimm p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Rodney p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

c-A.Jackson ph-rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Totals 33 5 9 5 3 8

 

Cincinnati 100 011 100 — 4 7 0

Chicago 000 102 20x — 5 9 0

 

a-grounded out for Haren in the 5th. b-struck out for LeCure in the 7th. c-grounded out for Rodney in the 7th.

LOB—Cincinnati 3, Chicago 7. 2B—Bruce (32), Votto (29), Barnhart (8), Coghlan (21), M.Montero (10). HR—Votto (26), off Haren; Suarez (11), off Rodney; Schwarber (13), off Badenhop. RBIs—Votto 2 (67), Suarez (38), DeSclafani (3), Schwarber 2 (38), Bryant 2 (82), M.Montero (44). SB—Phillips 2 (20).

Runners left in scoring position—Cincinnati 2 (De Jesus Jr. 2); Chicago 3 (J.Baez, Bryant, A.Jackson). RISP—Cincinnati 2 for 7; Chicago 3 for 10.

Runners moved up—Coghlan, J.Baez. GIDP—Bourgeois.

DP—Chicago 1 (J.Baez, A.Russell, Rizzo).

 

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

DeSclafani 5 2-3 4 3 3 2 7 107 3.87

LeCure BS, 1-1 1-3 1 0 0 0 0 8 2.45

Badenhop L, 1-4 BS 2-3 3 2 2 1 0 29 4.02

Ju.Diaz 1 1-3 1 0 0 0 1 19 4.08

Chicago (NL) IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Haren 5 4 2 2 1 4 73 3.89

Richard 0 2 1 1 0 0 7 4.06

Grimm 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 2.04

Rodney W, 1-0 1 1 1 1 0 2 20 3.00

Strop H, 25 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 2.84

H.Rondon S, 25-29 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 1.53

Richard pitched to 2 batters in the 6th.

Inherited runners-scored—LeCure 2-1, Ju.Diaz 2-0, Grimm 1-0. WP—DeSclafani.

Umpires—Home, Fieldin Culbreth; First, Manny Gonzalez; Second, Jim Reynolds; Third, Paul Schrieber.

T—3:03. A—33,756 (40,929).