Reds hold on against Cubs for 7th straight win

CINCINNATI (AP) — TJ Friedl homered and drove in three runs, Andrew Abbott pitched five effective innings and the Cincinnati Reds won their seventh straight, 4-3 over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

The Cubs put runners on first and third with one out in the ninth, but Justin Wilson induced a foul pop by Ian Happ — catcher Tyler Stephenson made a sliding snag in front of the Cincinnati dugout — and a grounder by Mike Tauchman for his first save.

“He’s very comfortable in that situation,” Reds manager David Bell said the 36-year-old lefty Wilson. “It took his best there in that situation.”

The Reds have won the first three in this series from the Cubs after taking two of three from their NL Central rivals at Wrigley Field last weekend.

Jeimer Candelario hit a two-out homer in the first inning for the Reds. Friedl's third homer of the season was a two-run shot in the third, and he drove in another run with a groundout in the fifth.

Abbott (5-5) had plenty of traffic on the bases, giving up five hits and walking four, but the only run he allowed was on Dansby Swanson's first-inning RBI double. The left-hander fanned Patrick Wisdom three times and Christopher Morel twice.

“I didn’t have it command-wise,” Abbott said. “But with them behind me making the plays, I was able to grind out five (innings). I’d love to go more, but it was one of those days where you have to go as much as you can as long as you can to save the bullpen.”

Chicago's Yan Gomes snapped a 0-for-25 hitless streak with an RBI double in the sixth off reliever Emilio Pagán.

The Cubs made it a one-run game in the eighth when David Bote scored on a grounder.

Ben Brown (1-3) went four innings for the Cubs, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out three.

“I thought we swung the bats well,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We had good at-bats all day. We just didn’t get the next hit."

“We have to keep playing. No one is going to feel sorry for us,” he said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: OF Seiya Suzuki was out after being hit in the back with a throw from Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson on a stolen base attempt on Friday. ... INF Nico Hoerner fractured a bone in his right hand when he was hit by a pitch Thursday but should be able to play without risking further damage when the swelling goes down, manager Craig Counsell said.

UP NEXT

Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga (5-1, 1.88 ERA) faces Reds right-hander Frankie Montas (3-4, 4.00) in the finale of the four-game series on Sunday.

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