CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Conforto went 3 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs, Shota Imanaga pitched six innings of one-run ball and the Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to nine games with an 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
The Cubs completed a four-game sweep of the Reds and won their 15th straight game at Wrigley Field for their longest home winning streak since 1935.
The Cubs (26-12) seized control by scoring seven runs in the fourth
inning. Reds starter Rhett Lowder left the game in the inning with what the team said was right shoulder tightness. The Reds (20-18) lost their seventh straight.
Imanaga (4-2), who threw seven scoreless innings in his previous start, extended that run to 12 innings before Sal Stewart hit a solo homer in the sixth. The 32-year-old left-hander allowed four hits and three walks while striking out 10 for his fifth career double-digit strikeout game.
Lowder (3-3) walked the first two batters of the fourth before leaving with a 1-0 count to Michael Busch. Reliever Connor Phillips allowed both inherited runners to score as the Cubs pushed seven runs across for their highest scoring inning of the season.
Conforto, in the lineup to give Seiya Suzuki a day off in right field, hit his second home run of the season off Lowder in the bottom of the second. He also slammed into the wall to make an inning-ending catch in the fifth with two runners on base.
Ian Happ walked in the bottom of the fourth to extend his on-base streak to 28 games, the second-longest active streak in MLB.
Earlier Thursday, the Cubs called up reliever Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Iowa and designated Corbin Martin for assignment. Hollowell allowed a solo home run to Blake Dunn in the eighth and an RBI double to JJ Bleday in the ninth before Daniel Palencia entered to get the final out for his second save.
Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo will make his season debut against the visiting Houston Astros on Friday.
Cubs: Chicago has not named a starter for Friday's game at Texas.
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