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 Votto doubled with the bases loaded, homered, drove in five runs and made a nice defensive play and Griffey hit his 596th career homer Thursday as Cincinnati beat the Chicago Cubs 9-2 to end a five-game losing streak.
With the wind blowing in at Wrigley for the first time in the three-game series, Votto delivered the key hits and Baker beat the team he managed from 2003-2006. The Cubs won the first two games, 9-5 and 12-3.
Edinson Volquez (2-0) gave up four hits and a run in five innings. In three starts now, he's allowed only 12 hits and two earned runs in 15 1-3 innings.
Ted Lilly (0-3) remained winless in four starts after going 15-8 last season. He was tagged for six hits and five runs in six innings.
Lilly gave up just one hit through the first three innings. But he struggled with his control in the fourth as two walks and a single loaded the bases. Votto then doubled to right-center to clear the bases and make it 3-1.
Votto hit his second homer of the season in the sixth, a two-run shot. He connected an inning after making a nice play at first base, stretching toward the line to snag Mike Fontenot's liner with runners at second and third to end the threat.
Henry Blanco's RBI infield single in the sixth cut it to 6-2.
But the Cubs played sloppy ball in the seventh as shortstop Ryan Theriot couldn't handle Norris Hopper's grounder for an error. Ryan Freel bunted, but reliever Jon Lieber had to hold the ball because Chicago second baseman Fontenot failed to cover first in time, giving Freel an infield single.
Griffey then launched a three-run homer to center field, his third of the season. Lieber became the 380th pitcher to surrender a homer to the 38-year-old Reds star, who is sixth on the all-time list.
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Freel added an RBI single in the eighth.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the second on two singles and a walk. With two outs, Lilly, a career .111 hitter, drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch from Volquez to make it 1-0.
Notes: Votto matched his career high in RBIs. He also had five against the Cubs last September. ... Reds cleanup hitter Brandon Phillips, hitless in his previous 10-at bats, got the day off to rest. ... Paul Bako, another former Cub, extended his hitting streak to a career-high nine games. ... Reed Johnson was 4-for-4 for the Cubs. With Alfonso Soriano on the DL, the Cubs again started Mark DeRosa in left with Fontenot leading off. Johnson started in center as the Cubs continue to work on hitting with young outfielder Felix Pie, who is batting .154.
[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]
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