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Reds hand Cubs another loss

Apr 20, 2012 - 11:24 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Drew Stubbs had three hits, drove in three runs and stole two bases as the Cincinnati Reds jumped on the Chicago Cubs early and held on for a 9-4 victory in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Homer Bailey (1-2) picked up his first win after allowing four runs -- one earned -- on five hits.

Jay Bruce added two hits and two runs scored for Cincinnati, which earned its 10,000th win in franchise history, joining the Cubs, Giants, Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals as the only other clubs to accomplish the feat.

"That's a lot of wins," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "...That means we've been around for a long time and have done a lot of winning."

The Reds have won two straight since dropping five of their last six.

Chris Volstad (0-2) gave up six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and two walks for the Cubs, losers of six consecutive contests.

The Reds jumped on Volstad immediately, plating four runs in the top of the first as they batted around for the first time this season. Stubbs reached with a one-out single, stole second and then moved to third when Starlin Castro couldn't field Geovany Soto's throw to second. Joey Votto then singled through the hole on the right side to bring home Stubbs.

Runners were on the corners following Bruce's base hit to right field, and Scott Rolen walked to load the bases. Chris Heisey plated Votto and Bruce with a single up the middle. Rolen then scored on Willie Harris' RBI groundout.

"It put me in a huge hole, it put our team in a big hole to start the game," Volstad said of his struggles in the opening frame.

The Cubs got on the board in the home third with two runs. David DeJesus scored when Heisey dropped Castro's flyball along the warning track in left- center field. Castro came home on Bryan LaHair's single to make it 4-2.

But the Reds answered with two runs in the visitor's fourth on Stubbs' two-run slicing double to right field, which brought home Devin Mesoraco and Zack Cozart.

After Barney grounded out to third, plating Blake DeWitt in the home fifth, Bailey registered an RBI groundout in the top of the sixth to bring home Harris, making it a 7-3 game.

Alfonso Soriano's RBI groundout to shortstop scored LaHair in the home sixth, cutting the Cubs' deficit to 7-4.

Stubbs added an RBI single in the eighth and Todd Frazier tripled to deep center field in the ninth to plate Bruce and account for the final margin.

Game Notes

It's the Cubs first six-game losing streak since an eight-game stretch from May 30-June 7 of last season...Volstad is 0-6 over his last 13 starts and is one of two pitchers -- Minnesota's Nick Blackburn -- with no wins in at least 10 starts since last year's All-Star break...Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of right shoulder fatigue.