Late lead not enough for Cubs as Reds complete four-game sweep

CINCINNATI - Once pitcher Mike Lorenzen homered, the Cincinnati Reds got rolling again.

Lorenzen connected for a pinch-hit shot to begin Cincinnati's comeback, Jesse Winker added a pinch-hit, 3-run homer in a big seventh, and the Reds defeated the Cubs 8-6 on Sunday for their seventh straight win.

Lorenzen's homer was the third of his career and second in two games by a Reds pitcher. Anthony DeSclafani hit a grand slam Saturday, the first by a Reds pitcher since 1959.

"In a game like today we feel like we're not meant to lose," Lorenzen said.

The last-place Reds completed a four-game sweep of the Cubs for the first time since 1983 at Riverfront Stadium. Their winning streak is their longest since a 10-game surge in July 2012.

"We know what we can do," Winker said. "It is cool coming to the field and expecting to win. We're in June right now. We are taking care of June. To win a game, it takes a group effort. There's plenty of season left. We're going to keep grinding good at-bats. It's been a lot of fun."

After the Cubs scored five times in the fifth, Lorenzen homered in the bottom half.

The Reds trailed 6-1 going into the seventh. Winker went opposite field on Pedro Strop's first pitch after relieving Mike Montgomery to cut the Cubs' lead to 6-5.

Joey Votto delivered the go-ahead double as the next four batters reached against Strop (3-1), who retired just two of the nine batters he faced in his first appearance since Tuesday.

"Strop had plenty of rest - maybe too much," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I felt like he was the right guy. It just didn't work. They got 2 pinch-hit homers, one by a pitcher. They had some great at-bats."

Said Strop: "It's always good to be fresh. I'm not blaming that. I didn't feel like I had command of my fastball. I think that was the key. I was getting behind hitters, and I was a little bit too fine when I got ahead.

Jose Peraza drove in 2 runs and Tucker Barnhart had the game-tying RBI as the Reds set a season high for runs.

"We've never quit," manager Jim Riggleman said. "We've always battled. It's Major League Baseball. You better keep playing for nine innings. We had that stretch where we were down 3 or 4 runs in the early innings. We were competitive and came back in some of them. As of late, we haven't had to do that. The starters have done a good job."

Seven runs are the most allowed in one inning this season by the Cubs, who have lost six of their last eight.

"You don't change things," Maddon said. "You still eat. You still sleep. You still pet your puppy."

The Reds overcame a fifth-inning, 2-run homer by slumping Anthony Rizzo, who went 1-for-14 in the series, and a solo shot by Albert Almora Jr. off Jackson Stephens (1-0), which gave the Cubs their 6-1 lead in the seventh.

Amir Garrett had 3 strikeouts in the eighth before Raisel Iglesias picked up his 13th save.

Montgomery started in place of Tyler Chatwood, who left for Chicago early Sunday morning when his wife went into labor. The left-hander kept the Reds scoreless until Lorenzen's homer with two outs in the fifth.