Michael Busch homers as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3
CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch homered and drove in three runs, helping Jameson Taillon and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on Sunday.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had three hits, scored three times and swiped two bases as Chicago closed out a 5-1 homestand. Dansby Swanson had a run-scoring double.
The Cubs improved to 37-22, moving a season-high 15 games above .500. The NL Central leaders have won 15 of 20 overall.
Taillon (5-3) pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball in his third consecutive win. The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out two and walked one.
Taillon has a 2.70 ERA in six starts at Wrigley Field this season, compared to a 4.96 ERA in six road starts.
Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati, which dropped two of three against Chicago for the second straight weekend. Nick Martinez (3-6) allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The Cubs grabbed control with four runs in the third. Kyle Tucker doubled and scored on Crow-Armstrong's two-out single. Swanson added an RBI double before Busch connected for his eighth homer, driving a changeup deep to right-center.
Busch also hit a two-out RBI single off Brent Suter in the fifth. Crow-Armstrong singled and stole second before Busch delivered.
The Cubs finished the game without Tucker, who was removed after four innings because of a jammed right ring finger.
The Reds were limited to four hits after they had one in Saturday's 2-0 loss. Third baseman Santiago Espinal and left fielder Will Benson each committed an error in the seventh, helping the Cubs score two unearned runs.
Key moment
Busch's 413-foot drive in the third was his first homer since he went deep in a 7-2 loss at the New York Mets on May 9.
Key stat
The Cubs improved to 31-7 when they score at least four runs.
Up next
Reds: Brady Singer (6-3, 4.60 ERA) starts Monday in the opener of a three-game series against Milwaukee. Fellow right-hander Aaron Civale (0-1, 6.00 ERA) takes the mound for the visiting Brewers.
Cubs: Open a nine-game trip at Washington on Tuesday night.
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