Reds 4, Blue Jays 3
Todd Frazier homered and Johnny Cueto turned in eight strong innings as Cincinnati took the rubber match of a three-game set from visiting Toronto.
Cueto (7-5) allowed one earned run on seven hits while striking out eight before turning things over to Aroldis Chapman, who bounced back from a terrible performance in the series opener by striking out the side to lock up his 13th save. Jay Bruce added two hits, a RBI and a run scored while Ryan Ludwick added two hits for the Reds.
Edwin Encarnacion belted his league-leading 24th home run in the eighth inning and Colby Rasmus singled in a pair for the Blue Jays, who have dropped 11 of their last 15. R.A. Dickey (6-6) was charged with four runs – three earned – on nine hits in 7 2/3 innings to suffer his second straight loss.
Bruce singled in a run in the first but Toronto took advantage of some defensive lapses to grab the lead in the third. A pair of errors and a single loaded the bases for Rasmus, who pushed a grounder through the right side to plate two before Cueto induced a double play to escape the jam.
Bruce doubled and scored the tying run on a double-play grounder in the fourth before Cueto reached on a bunt single in the fifth and moved up on another bunt. Frazer followed and sent a 2-0 knuckleball the opposite way into the first row in right-center to put Cincinnati on top for good.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie left the game in the second after suffering a broken right index finger on a hit-by-pitch, and RF Jose Bautista followed him to the clubhouse an inning later with tightness in his left leg. … Reds 2B Brandon Phillips exited in the fifth with a bruised right heel. … Toronto returns home to host the New York Yankees on Monday while Cincinnati begins a 10-game road trip at the Chicago Cubs.