CHICAGO (AP) — Frank Schwindel hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs topped the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Monday for their season-high seventh straight win.
Schwindel’s single through the right side scored Alfonso Rivas, who started the rally with a pinch-hit single off Michael Lorenzen (0-2) and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Schwindel is batting .441 (15 for 34) with six homers and 14 RBIs during his current eight-game hitting streak.
The Reds (73-66) lost for the seventh time in nine games. They began the day in third in the NL wild-card standings, a half-game back of San Diego.
Codi Heuer, Scott Effross (2-0) and Adam Morgan combined for three scoreless innings in relief of Justin Steele. Chicago’s bullpen has allowed two earned runs in its last 35 innings.
Tyler Stephenson reached on an infield hit with one out in the seventh, but Heuer got Nick Castellanos to ground into a double play.
Ian Happ hit a three-run homer in the first for the Cubs. Happ is batting .349 (30 for 86) with eight homers and 20 RBIs in his last 23 games.
Steele sailed into the sixth, but the rookie left-hander departed after he hit Asdrubal Cabrera with a pitch with the bases loaded and none out. Heuer then threw a wild pitch, allowing Castellanos to score, and Max Schrock tied it at 3 with a pinch-hit double down the left-field line.
Heuer then retired pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas on a popup, stranding runners on second and third.
After allowing the homer to Happ, Reds starter Sonny Gray retired 15 of his final 16 batters.