Reds 8, Cubs 2
Jonny Gomes homered and drove in four runs and Jay Bruce had a three-hit night as the Cincinnati Reds sent the visiting Chicago Cubs to their seventh consecutive defeat, 8-2, on Monday.
Drew Stubs added a solo blast for the Reds (31-30), who bounced back from a two-game slide and avoided dropping below .500.
The Cubs have lost nine of 10 and still have two more against Cincinnati and four at first-place Philadelphia over the weekend before finishing up their 10-game road trip.
Chicago actually jumped out on top with Carlos Pena’s sacrifice fly in the first but watched that lead disappear as Gomes drove in his first run in the second and Stubbs homered in the third. The Reds broke it open with two more in the fourth and Gomes’ three-run homer in the fifth.
Matt Garza (2-5) made his return from the disabled list for the Cubs and looked rusty, walking three and allowing four runs and six hits in four innings.
Mike Leake (5-2) surrendered 10 hits in eight innings for Cincinnati but limited the damage to two runs. The righthander helped himself with an RBI single off Garza in the fourth.