The Cincinnati Reds scored three times in the sixth inning in a back-and-forth 6-4 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Starting pitcher Chase Burns allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four in three innings for the Reds (72-82).
Cubs starter Clay Holmes (6-8) surrendered six runs on three hits, fanning four while walking five, in 5 1/3 innings.
Down by one entering its half of the sixth, Cincinnati went ahead 6-4.
Elly De La Cruz drew a leadoff walk and reached third when Holmes’ pickoff attempt missed first baseman Michael Busch.
Holmes walked Tyler Stephenson and JJ Bleday in consecutive plate appearances, loading the bases. That ended Holmes’ outing, and Javier Assad replaced him.
Eugenio Suarez singled to left field to score De La Cruz and tie it 4-4. Jose Trevino later drove in Bleday and Suarez with a single that put the hosts up by two.
The Reds opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Carlos Jorge tripled to center field to open the frame, and De La Cruz walked. With Sal Stewart at the plate, De La Cruz stole second, and then Jorge scored on Stewart’s sacrifice fly that saw De La Cruz tag up and go to third.
Stephenson drove in De La Cruz with a single up the middle that hopped off the glove of second baseman Nico Hoerner into center field to make it 2-0.
The Cubs (85-69) cut it to 2-1 in the top of the second. Hoerner and Michael Conforto each singled to the outfield, with Hoerner advancing to third on Conforto’s hit. Carson Kelly brought Hoerner home with another single.
Ian Happ tied it 2-2 in the third with a two-out home run to right-center.
Cincinnati went ahead 3-2 in the bottom half. Jorge walked, advanced to third on a De La Cruz single, and scored when Stewart grounded into a double play.
Chicago took its first lead in the fourth against reliever Julian Aguiar (1-0). Kelly walked, went to second when Dansby Swanson reached on a forceout. Each advanced on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s flyout to center and scored on Seiya Suzuki’s single for a 4-3 advantage.
