Cubs 5, Reds 3
CINCINNATI - Austin Jackson homered and Jason Hammel pitched five shutout innings, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a three-game series Thursday afternoon.
It rained steadily through most of Thursday's game but not enough to result in the 19th rain delay this season at Great American Ball Park.
Chicago (94-65) won its fifth straight game to pull within two games of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the battle for home field in the National League wild-card game.
Cincinnati (63-96) has lost 12 straight, its longest streak since 1993.
Jackson, who had a career-high five RBIs in Wednesday night's win, crushed a 1-1 pitch from Reds right-hander John Lamb into the left-seats for a three-run homer, putting the Cubs ahead 3-0.
It was Jackson's first home run in a Cubs uniform, his last coming on August 30 while a member of the Seattle Mariners.
Jackson then made a running catch of second baseman Brandon Phillips' liner to strand a pair of runners in the third.
The Cubs added a run in the fifth on first baseman Anthony Rizzo's ground-rule double into the left-field corner which drove home center fielder Dexter Fowler and put them ahead 4-0.
Rizzo was the last batter for Lamb (1-5), who gave up five earned runs and struck out six in 4 2/3 innings.
Hammel (10-7) pitched out of jams in the third and fourth but scattered only five hits through five innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
A play in the sixth inning epitomized the Reds' season.
After Phillips recorded his 300th career double and stole third with no outs, right fielder Jay Bruce lofted a very shallow pop fly to third baseman Javier Baez.
Phillips strayed too far down the line from third and was retired in a run-down for a 5-2-6 double play.
Cincinnati scored three unearned runs in the seventh.
Center fielder Jason Bourgeois beat out a potential inning-ending double play grounder with the bases loaded to drive in a run in the seventh.
Two-out RBI singles by first baseman Joey Votto off Clayton Richard and Phillips off Trevor Cahill reduced the Cubs' lead to 5-3.
But, Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 29th save.
NOTES: The Cubs went 19-9 in September, the best record in the major leagues. The 19 victories were their most in September since 2003 accomplished for just the second time since 1946. ... Cubs manager Joe Maddon plans to meet with his coaching staff Monday to finalize the roster for Wednesday night's National League wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto (stinger in upper back, neck) and 3B Todd Frazier (slight strain in right Achilles) returned to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday's game. ... Votto singled in the seventh to extend his on-base streak to 47 games, longest by a Reds batter since Pete Rose in 1978. ... Reds LHP John Lamb doubled in the third inning for his first professional hit.