Reds 13, Cubs 5
CINCINNATI -- Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall each hit three-run home runs as the Cincinnati Reds' offense broke out of its slump in a 13-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 41,660 Great American Ball Park.
After being no-hit by Jake Arrieta in the series opener and held to five hits on Friday, the Reds' erupted for 14 hits and a season-high 13 runs including four homers.
Chicago (13-5) pitchers had allowed only 11 runs in their previous seven games combined.
The Cubs led 3-2 in the sixth when Suarez hit his fifth home run on the first pitch from starter John Lackey with two runners on to put Cincinnati ahead. Suarez tied a career-high with four RBIs.
Lackey (3-1) was charged with six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Trevor Cahill came on and promptly gave up back-to-back homers to Duvall and Scott Schebler to go ahead 9-3.
It was the first time the Reds hit three homers in an inning since May 21, 2012.
Chicago got a couple of runs back in the seventh on RBI singles by Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. But, Joey Votto's two-run homer in the seventh off Neil Ramirez put Cincinnati (9-9) ahead 11-5.
The Cubs had the bases loaded in the eighth against Tony Cingrani, but Suarez scooped Kris Bryant's hard grounder for the final out.
Blake Wood (2-0) earned the victory for Cincinnati.
Russell who'd been hitting into tough luck all series with five line-drive outs, crushed an 0-1 pitch from Reds starter Dan Straily and sent it 420 feet into the second deck in left to put the Cubs ahead 1-0 in the second.
Lackey retired the first nine batters he faced before Zack Cozart doubled leading off the fourth. Cozart would trot home with the tying run when Russell made a diving stop on Suarez's grounder but bounced his throw past Rizzo into the camera well.
Phillips' double into the left-center field gap drove home Suarez to put the Reds ahead 2-1, although Phillips was thrown out trying to reach third on a relay by Russell.
Dexter Fowler's fifth-inning RBI double down the right-field line came on Straily's 90th pitch, tying the score 2-2.
Chicago regained the lead when Bryant singled home Fowler, ending Straily's evening after he allowed three runs over 97 pitches in 4 2/3 innings.
NOTES: Reds RHP Alfredo Simon will start Sunday's series finale against the Cubs. He was scratched from his last start because of right biceps tendinitis. ... Reds CF Billy Hamilton missed his third straight start on Saturday because of a wrist injury. Scott Schebler started in CF. ... For the second straight game, Javier Baez started at third base for the Cubs and Kris Bryant played left field. ... The Cubs are 13-4 to start a season for the third time in franchise history and first since 1970.