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Reds rally to top Cubs

May 18, 2011 - 6:09 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Chris Heisey's pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference, as the Reds held on for a 7-5 win over the Cubs to complete a two-game sweep at Great American Ball Park.

Joey Votto had an RBI double and Scott Rolen went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored for Cincinnati, which has won five straight and 11 of its last 13 games overall.

Edinson Volquez worked six innings, allowing three runs on as many hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. Bill Bray (1-0) picked up the win for retiring the final batter in the top of the eighth inning. Nick Masset recorded his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer for the Cubs, who have dropped three in a row and six of eight. Tony Campana had an RBI double in his first major league at-bat.

Cubs starter Matt Garza went six frames and gave up three unearned runs on five hits and four walks. The right-hander had three strikeouts.

Trailing 5-3, the Reds plated four runs in the bottom of the eighth to go ahead. Rolen led off with a double and Fred Lewis reached on an infield single. Ryan Hanigan then put down a bunt and Kerry Wood (1-3) threw wide of the bag at third while attempting to get the lead runner and the ball rolled all the way back to the left-field wall, bringing in two and allowing Hanigan to take third. Heisey's sac fly to right made it a 6-5 game.

Votto's RBI double later in the inning scored Paul Janish, who reached with a single.

"We've proven to ourselves enough times now we're capable of coming back at any point in time, no matter what the score. Having done that a few times last year and then as well this year, it's kind of a trend to keep going," said Hanigan.

Masset came in for the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to Kosuke Fukudome, but retired the next three batters on ground balls to end the game.

Pena's three-run shot into the right-field seats in the first gave the Cubs the early lead, but Cincinnati tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth thanks to some shoddy Cubs defense.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Volquez hit a grounder to first base that Pena was unable to handle. He then threw late to first with Garza covering and the pitcher's errant throw to the plate allowed three runs to score.

"It's cost us a lot of ball games the past week or so. It's costing me a lot of sleep too," Cubs manager Mike Quade said about their defensive miscues.

Cincinnati stranded two in the sixth and Chicago loaded the bases with a pair of walks sandwiched around a bunt base hit off Jose Arredondo in the seventh. The right-hander then walked yet another batter -- Darwin Barney -- to force in another and put the Cubs in front 4-3. Jordan Smith entered and got Starlin Castro to ground into an inning-ending 5-3 double play.

Campana stroked a run-scoring double down the right-field line in the eighth to make it a two-run game.

Game Notes

The Reds took two of three from the Cubs earlier in the year after taking 12 of the 16 meetings in 2010...Cincinnati stranded nine runners on base, while Chicago left eight.