CINCINNATI (AP) — Left fielder Adam Duvall and center fielder Billy Hamilton called for the ball at the same time. Neither one got it, setting up another bad moment for a Reds team that can’t seem to do anything right lately.

Anthony Rizzo legged out his first inside-the-park homer on Wednesday — a fitting final touch to a series full of unusual moments — and the Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati 9-2 for a three-game sweep that put them back on solid footing after a rough stretch.

The Cubs went 1-6 last week, hurt by an injury-depleted lineup and a balky bullpen. With thousands of Cubs fans in the stands at Great American Ball Park for each game, they pulled off an invigorating sweep.

The NL Central leaders won the opener 11-8 as Kris Bryant became the first major leaguer with three homers and two doubles in a game. They won 7-2 in 15 innings Tuesday night in a game that featured Javier Baez’s grand slam and three relievers playing left field alternately.

There was more wackiness in the finale.

Rizzo drove in three runs in the first inning off left-hander Cody Reed (0-2) with the Cubs’ first inside-the-park homer since 2011, when Tony Campana circled the bases against Cincinnati. Duvall cut in front of Hamilton but couldn’t get to the ball, which deflected off Hamilton’s cheek.

Rizzo couldn’t remember the last time he circled the bases that way.

“Maybe Little League?” he said. “Nothing like that. I’ll take it.”

Hamilton left the game to get tested for a concussion. He missed a week earlier this month after suffering a concussion when he slid into third base and got hit in the head.

“We both called for it at the same time,” Duvall said. “I thought we were going to collide. I didn’t take my eye off the ball, but I might’ve flinched a little bit. It hit him pretty good. It ended up rolling pretty far.”

Reed gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings of his third major league start. He’d expected some rough times as he got accustomed to the majors.

“I didn’t think about it, but I knew it would happen,” Reed said. “It’s a learning curve, nothing I can’t handle.”

Kyle Hendricks (6-6) gave up Duvall’s 22nd homer and went 6 2/3 innings, throwing 117 pitches to rest a bullpen worn out from pitching and playing the outfield. He also drove in a run with a squeeze bunt.

Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr. had solo shots for the Cubs, who hit 10 homers during the series. Baez had three more hits on Wednesday. Rizzo’s homer gave him a 10-game hitting streak during which he’s gone 17 for 36.

The Cubs have the major leagues’ best record at 51-26. They’re 9-1 against the Reds this season and have won 12 of their last 13 against their NL Central rival.

The Cubs’ 27 runs in the series matched their second-highest total of the season for a three-game stretch.

They also turned in more good defensive plays. Right fielder Ben Zobrist threw out Joey Votto at the plate as he tried to score from second on Jay Bruce’s single in the third.

SLAMMED

Research into Baez’s 15th-inning slam found that it was the latest by inning in Cubs history. Also, it was only the third in baseball history to happen in the 15th inning or later. New York’s Tino Martinez hit one in the 15th in 1996, and Boston’s Clyde Vollmer hit one in the 16th inning in 1951, according to STATS information provided by the team. The Cubs hadn’t scored five runs so late in a game since 1927.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave LHP Travis Wood the day off after he played left field and pitched in relief Tuesday night.

Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips was in the lineup despite getting hit in the ribs and taking a foul off his left ankle Tuesday night. He had a single in four at-bats.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP John Lackey (7-4, 3.29 ERA) opens a four-game series at New York against the Mets. He’s coming off his worst outing of the season, when he allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings of a loss at Miami last Saturday.

Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (3-6, 3.83) opens a four-game series at Washington. He has lost his last two starts, giving up seven earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. The Reds don’t play at home again until July 15.

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Cubs 9, Reds 2

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

Zobrist rf 4 2 2 0 1 0 .299

Bryant 3b 4 1 2 0 0 2 .280

Rizzo 1b 5 1 1 3 0 2 .284

Contreras c 5 1 1 1 0 0 .333

Baez 2b 5 1 3 1 0 1 .266

Szczur lf 4 1 1 1 1 2 .275

Russell ss 3 1 1 1 2 0 .236

Hendricks p 3 0 0 1 0 2 .069

Grimm p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Edwards p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Almora cf 3 1 1 1 1 1 .286

Totals 37 9 12 9 5 11

 

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Hamilton cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255

Holt cf 5 0 0 0 0 0 .219

Votto 1b 2 0 1 0 3 0 .244

Phillips 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .252

Bruce rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .279

Duvall lf 3 1 2 1 1 0 .254

Suarez 3b 4 1 1 0 0 2 .229

Peraza ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .260

Diaz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

b-Cabrera ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .250

Ohlendorf p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Barnhart c 3 0 1 0 1 1 .249

Reed p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

a-Cozart ph 1 0 0 1 0 0 .266

Sampson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

De Jesus ss 2 0 0 0 0 1 .206

Totals 33 2 9 2 5 7

 

Chicago 302 200 200 = 9 12 0

Cincinnati 000 200 000 = 2 9 0

 

a-grounded out for Reed in the 4th. b-struck out for Diaz in the 8th.

LOB-Chicago 8, Cincinnati 9. 2B-Contreras (2), Baez (10), Bruce (18), Barnhart (12). HR-Rizzo (19), off Reed; Russell (8), off Reed; Almora (1), off Reed; Duvall (22), off Hendricks. RBIs-Rizzo 3 (58), Contreras (10), Baez (26), Szczur (16), Russell (41), Hendricks (1), Almora (6), Duvall (54), Cozart (32). SB-Baez (5). CS-Duvall (4). S-Hendricks.

Runners left in scoring position-Chicago 3 (Zobrist, Hendricks, Edwards); Cincinnati 2 (Phillips, Holt). RISP-Chicago 3 for 8; Cincinnati 1 for 6.

Runners moved up-Cozart, Suarez. GIDP-Contreras, Bruce.

DP-Chicago 1 (Baez, Rizzo); Cincinnati 1 (Phillips, De Jesus, Votto).

 

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

Hendricks W, 6-6 6 2-3 8 2 2 2 5 117 2.76

Grimm 1-3 1 0 0 2 0 15 5.79

Edwards 2 0 0 0 1 2 29 1.59

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Reed L, 0-2 4 9 7 7 0 5 71 9.00

Sampson 2 2-3 3 2 1 4 3 73 6.52

Diaz 1 1-3 0 0 0 0 1 16 5.40

Ohlendorf 1 0 0 0 1 2 16 4.38

Grimm pitched to 2 batters in the 8th.

Inherited runners-scored-Edwards 2-0, Diaz 2-0. IBB-off Sampson (Russell). HBP-Diaz (Bryant). WP-Ohlendorf. PB-Barnhart (3).

Umpires-Home, Marty Foster; First, Gabe Morales; Second, Mike Muchlinski; Third, Mike Winters.

T-3:14. A-37,188 (42,319).