Kivlehan's bat, Arroyo's arm help Reds slay Cubs
CINCINNATI -- Patrick Kivlehan drove in three runs in just his third start, Scott Schebler homered and drove in two runs and Bronson Arroyo earned his second straight win as the Cincinnati Reds snapped a season-long five-game losing streak, holding off the Chicago Cubs for a 7-5 win on Sunday.
The Reds snapped Chicago's season-best four-game winning streak while salvaging the final game of the three-game series. They finished 3-7 on their homestand after going 5-1 on the preceding road trip.
Anthony Rizzo's two-run homer wasn't enough to prevent Chicago right-hander John Lackey's third consecutive loss. Lackey (1-3) allowed six hits and seven runs, five earned, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Arroyo (2-2), who missed the last 2 1/2 seasons with shoulder and elbow injuries, allowed just three hits, including Rizzo's blast, and no walks in six innings. He finished with 48 strikes among his 66 pitches and as many as seven strikeouts for the first time since a 3-1 win over Washington for Arizona on May 13, 2014.
Center fielder Billy Hamilton, who was 4-for-31 over the first nine games of Cincinnati's homestand, led off the Reds' first with a single to center field. He stole second and third before Jose Peraza lined out to shortstop Addison Russell before scoring on Joey Votto's sacrifice fly.
Schebler, who went into the game with one hit in his last 21 at bats, gave the Reds a 2-0 lead on his fourth homer of the season with two outs in the second inning.
Arroyo retired the first 10 batters he faced before Kris Bryant singled with one out in the fourth. Rizzo followed with his third homer in three games, all of them multi-run shots.
Cincinnati regained a 3-2 lead in the fourth as Eugenio Suarez scored from second base on Schebler's soft single to center field, his second two-out RBI of the game.
The Reds broke it open with a four-run seventh, including Kivlehan's double up the left-center field gap. Two Cubs' errors created two unearned runs.
NOTES: Reds SS Zack Cozart was scratched from manager Bryan Price's original starting lineup with a sore left wrist. ... Ben Zobrist returned to the Cubs' lineup playing 2B and batting cleanup. He hadn't played since April 19 due to back tightness. ... The Reds recalled from Double-A Pensacola RHP Ariel Hernandez and optioned to Triple-A Louisville RHP Lisalverto Bonilla. ... Rizzo's home gives the Cubs at least one home run in 15 consecutive games at Great American Ball Park ... They are scheduled to return for a three-game series June 30-July 2.