Reds dump Cubs for fifth straight win

[June 23, 2018]  Eugenio Suarez homered for the fourth time in six games, and Luis Castillo broke a four-game losing streak as Cincinnati beat the visiting Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Friday night, giving the Reds wins in the first two games of the four-game series.

The Reds trailed 3-1 to Jose Quintana on Friday before scoring three runs in the fifth, two on Suarez's 16th home run of the season, which followed an RBI single by Joey Votto.

Chicago lost for the fourth time in six games. The Reds have won five in a row and eight of 10.

The Cubs trailed 1-0 and were hitless against Castillo through three innings when Ben Zobrist, who had two of Chicago's four hits, ripped a one-out double down the right field line in the fourth. He eventually scored when Javy Baez caught the infield playing deep with two outs and beat out a bunt to third base.

Kyle Schwarber ripped the next pitch, a 95 mph fastball, for a home run to left-center field, and the Cubs led 3-1. It was Castillo's NL-leading 18th home run allowed.

Castillo worked into the sixth inning but left with two on and two out. Kyle Crockett, recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, struck out Schwarber to end the threat.

Castillo (5-8) allowed three runs on four hits with one walk with five strikeouts. He won for the first time since May 24.

Reds reliever David Hernandez pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

Jose Peraza singled to start the Reds' fifth inning, extending his streak of consecutive games of reaching base safely to 22. He stole second, and one out later, Votto laced a line drive single to center for his 37th RBI, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Suarez then crushed an 86 mph changeup from Quintana to center field, estimated at 421 feet. He went 3-for-4 with his 16th homer, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.

Quintana (6-6) was done after the fifth inning, having allowed four runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts. It was his first loss to the Reds in three decisions.

The Reds scored insurance runs in the seventh and eighth on RBI singles by Adam Duvall and Alex Blandino, respectively.

--Field Level Media

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