Reds' Bullpen Coughs Up Johnny Cueto's Lead

The Reds' bullpen surrendered a four-lead after Johnny Cueto gave the team seven strong innings.

Alfonso Soriano hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth inning and Welington Castillo had a go-ahead double in the 10th, helping the Chicago Cubs rally from a four-run deficit in a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday that stopped a season-high, six-game losing streak.

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The last Reds loss, last Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, Aroldis Chapman gave up back-to-back home runs in the ninth.

Soriano singled in the seventh and scored Chicago's first run off Johnny Cueto on Luis Valbuena's two-out single. It was the only run allowed by Cueto.  He left with a 4-1 lead.

Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double against Logan Ondrusek in the eighth _ his third double in two games _ and Soriano followed with his fifth homer of the season and first since May 13, a 394-foot drive to left-center.

J.J. Hoover (0-4) walked Scott Hairston with two outs in the 10th, and Castillo followed with his double into the left-field corner.

"We went as far as we could with Johnny (Cueto)," Dusty Baker said. "We had to turn it over to some other guys. They've got a job to do. That's what they get paid to do. This is how they make their money. This one got away. We'll start a new streak tomorrow. We've been playing good ball".

Jonathan Broxton and Chapman were not available after pitching in three straight games.

Both the eighth inning rally and the decisive 10th inning score came after the first two Cub batters were retired.

"Sometimes that last out is the toughest one to get," Baker said.

"Soriano had the big hit and Welington (Castillo)," Sveum said.  "We had some good at bats late. We have to remember that. It seems we're more aggressive late. We're more aggressive than we are with starters but not swinging at pitches out of the strike zone."

Kevin Gregg (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 hitless innings, stopping the Reds' five-game winning streak.

Matt Garza, making his second start of the season after coming off the disabled list, allowed four runs in the fourth.

"Garza didn't have command of anything," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "When he did throw strikes there was foul ball, after foul ball. That got his pitch count up."

Jay Bruce hit a solo homer, his seventh of the season and sixth in his last 22 games.

Ryan Hanigan hit a fly ball to deep straightaway center field with two on, and David DeJesus almost made a spectacular diving catch with his back to the plate. The runners held waiting to see what happened, and Hanigan wound up with a long RBI single.

Zack Cozart added a two-run double.

Garza allowed four hits and four walks, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter.

Cueto gave up one run and four hits in seven innings.

 "Johnny (Cueto) had outstanding stuff. That's Johnny. He was a little tentative last time out in New York. He was afraid to hurt something. He was a little more aggressive today," Baker said.

Both benches were warned by home plate umpire Bob Davidson, after Cueto threw over David DeJesus head in the sixth inning.

"I asked what it was about," Sveum said. "He said that batter was taking a long time to get in the box and that he knew Cueto wasn't trying to hit him. I asked why he didn't throw him out. He told me there was nothing he could do. I think it woke us up."

Garza was upset.

“That just goes to show, don’t wake a sleeping dog," Garza said. "That’s immature on his part. It’s B.S. on his part _ totally immature. If he wants to say something to me, he knows where my locker is. If he’s got a problem, he can throw at me, and I’ll do the same. Hopefully, he grows the hell up. I hope he hears this. I really don’t care. I don’t know if there’s anything between him and (DeJesus), but I’ll stop it. I don’t think you intentionally try to injure somebody. I hope the league looks at it. I don’t want him suspended or anyting. I hope his players talk to him and show him the way it is.”

NOTES: The Reds drew 41,321 and sold out a series for the first time since July 30-Aug. 1, 2010, against Atlanta. ... The comeback win was Chicago's seventh of the season and first on the road. The Cubs have lost 16 games in which they led...Brandon Phillips was 0-for-4,snapping his season-high 12-game hitting streak. ... Joey Votto and Jay Bruce have been on-base in 15 straight games. ... Bruce and Votto both have 141 career home runs, 17th on the Reds' All-time list.