CINCINNATI (AP) — Left-hander Jon Lester failed to become a 20-game winner on Saturday, struggling for the first time since mid-July as the Cincinnati Reds pulled away to a 7-4 victory over what’s likely to be the Chicago Cubs’ lineup for the first game of the playoffs.
Lester (19-5) gave up five runs in only five innings, including Eugenio Suarez’s two-run homer and a pair of RBIs by Joey Votto. The left-hander hadn’t allowed five runs in a start since July 9.
Asked before the game if he’ll open the playoffs with the same lineup — including Lester on the mound — manager Joe Maddon said, “There’s a shot.” The Cubs will host the NL wild-card playoff winner on Friday at Wrigley Field.
Maddon has been getting players — especially his starting pitchers — some rest heading into the postseason. Even so, the Cubs have won eight of 12, finishing one of their best regular seasons with a flourish. Chicago’s 102 victories are its most since 1910.
Tim Adleman (4-4) gave up three runs in five innings as part of a rare Reds victory over Chicago. The Cubs are 14-4 against Cincinnati this season. Ben Zobrist hit his third homer in two games.
Nobody’s been better lately than Lester. Since the All-Star break, he’d won a career-high 10 straight decisions. In September, he allowed a total of two runs while winning all five starts. Lester had allowed one run or none in a club-record eight straight starts heading into Saturday.
The Reds strung together several well-placed hits while sending him to his first loss since July 3. Lester was hoping to become the first Cubs left-hander to win 20 games since Dick Ellsworth in 1963.
Jake Arrieta won 22 games last season to help the Cubs reach the playoffs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips had an MRI on his sore left hand that found a deep bruise. He missed a fourth straight game.
UP NEXT
Reds: Robert Stephenson (2-3) makes his sixth start since he was promoted in September. He gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 9-2 loss at Wrigley Field on Sept. 21.

SATURDAY’S GAME
Reds 7, Cubs 4
Chicago NL    AB    R    H    BI    BB    SO    Avg.
Fowler cf    3    0    2    0    1    0    .275
Bryant lf    4    0    0    0    0    1    .291
Rizzo 1b    4    1    2    0    0    1    .293
Zobrist 2b    4    1    1    1    0    0    .273
Russell ss    3    1    0    0    1    2    .240
Heyward rf    3    1    1    2    1    2    .229
Baez 3b    4    0    1    1    0    1    .272
Ross c    3    0    0    0    0    1    .229
d-La Stella ph    1    0    0    0    0    0    .274
Lester p    2    0    1    0    0    0    .102
Strop p    0    0    0    0    0    0    .000
b-Coghlan ph    1    0    0    0    0    0    .255
Rondon p    0    0    0    0    0    0    .000
Chapman p    0    0    0    0    0    0    —
e-Kawasaki ph    1    0    0    0    0    1    .300
Totals    33    4    8    4    3    9

Cincinnati    AB    R    H    BI    BB    SO    Avg.
Peraza ss    4    1    1    0    0    0    .329
De Jesus 2b    3    3    2    0    2    0    .254
Votto 1b    5    1    3    3    0    1    .326
Duvall lf    3    0    0    0    1    2    .240
Selsky cf-rf    3    1    1    0    1    1    .314
Suarez 3b    2    1    1    3    1    0    .247
Kivlehan rf    3    0    0    0    0    2    .000
Iribarren cf    1    0    1    1    0    0    .318
Cabrera c    4    0    0    0    0    2    .247
Adleman p    2    0    1    0    0    1    .191
Wood p    0    0    0    0    0    0    .000
a-Schebler ph    1    0    0    0    0    0    .268
Lorenzen p    0    0    0    0    0    0    .200
c-Renda ph    1    0    0    0    0    0    .179
Iglesias p    0    0    0    0    0    0    .091
Totals    32    7    10    7    5    9

Chicago            000    300    010    =    4    8    1
Cincinnati            121    010    20x    =    7    10    0

a-grounded out for Wood in the 6th.  b-grounded out for Strop in the 7th.  c-lined out for Lorenzen in the 8th.  d-flied out for Ross in the 9th.  e-struck out for Chapman in the 9th.
E—Baez (15). LOB—Chicago 5, Cincinnati 8. 2B—Heyward (26), De Jesus 2 (10), Votto 2 (34). HR—Zobrist (18), off Lorenzen; Suarez (21), off Lester. RBIs—Zobrist (76), Heyward 2 (49), Baez (59), Votto 3 (97), Suarez 3 (69), Iribarren (2). SB—Fowler (13), Peraza 3 (21), Selsky (1), Suarez (11). SF—Suarez.
Runners left in scoring position—Chicago 3 (Zobrist 3); Cincinnati 4 (Votto, Kivlehan 3). RISP—Chicago 3 for 6; Cincinnati 4 for 14.
Runners moved up—De Jesus, Votto. GIDP—Baez.
DP—Cincinnati 1 (Wood, De Jesus, Votto).

Chicago NL    IP    H    R    ER    BB    SO    NP    ERA
Lester L, 19-5    5    6    5    5    3    6    111    2.44
Strop    1    0    0    0    0    0    15    2.85
Rondon    1    3    2    2    1    1    27    3.53
Chapman    1    1    0    0    1    2    27    1.01

Cincinnati    IP    H    R    ER    BB    SO    NP    ERA
Adleman W, 4-4    5    6    3    3    2    4    89    4.00
Wood H, 14    1    0    0    0    1    1    11    3.92
Lorenzen H, 10    2    2    1    1    0    3    34    2.88
Iglesias S, 6-7    1    0    0    0    0    1    13    2.10

HBP—Lester (Peraza).
Umpires—Home, Tom Hallion; First, Chad Whitson; Second, Dan Bellino; Third, Gabe Morales.
T—3:08. A—30,970 (42,319).