The Chicago Cubs used a six-run seventh inning and kept going to defeat the Reds, 12-5 to even the three-game series.
The Reds held a 3-2 lead with Luis Cessa surviving hard hit ball after hard hit ball until the Cubs unloaded on the Cincinnati bullpen.
Cessa benefited by a great catch in foul territory by Wil Benson.
"When the ball went out to left. I thought is it in maybe no but I was very happy. It was a great catch by Benson.," Cessa said.
"They had a good game plan against me," said Cessa, who pitched for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. "They hit some balls hard but I had a good defense behind me. Benson made a really good catch so did Friedl, Newman.
Singles by Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Cody Bellinger started the scoring in the first inning. Hoerner scored on Trey Mancini's line out to right field.
The Reds returned fire against Cubs’s starter Hayden Wesnewski. Jonathan India doubled to lead off. TJ Frieda bunted for a hit but Patrick Wisdom’s throw barely beat him. India scored on Jake Fraley’s single.
Friedl hit his second home run of the season and Jason Vosler hit his third to put the Reds ahead 3-1.
The Cubs reached Cessa for a run after he was lifted for Ian Gibaut. Cessa allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings.
"It was a really solid start for Luis," David Bell said. "He didn't get built up like the rest of our starters."
"Benson made a great catch. That whole inning there was good defense. A lot of good things happened. We just couldn't hold on to it."
Eric Hosmer's single off Gibaut scored Wisdom to make it 3-2.
Happ, who came into the game with a lifetime .290 average with 26 home runs and 63 RBI, doubled home Hoerner to tie the game in the seventh.
Mancini and Wisdom singled and Yan Gomes doubled to put the Cubs up 7-3. Miles Mastrobuoni singled. Mancini drove in his third run of the game with a force out. Wisdom doubled in two more runs. The damage against Buck Farmer and Reiver Sanmartin resulted in an 8-3 lead.
"It was a tough day for the bullpen today but we can win the series tomorrow," Cessa said.
With a day game tomorrow, all of a sudden the Reds are dealing with a frazeled bullpen.
"It is still early on," David Bell said. "A lot of those guys pitched yesterday. They're still building up. They have pitched well. They've pitched a lot. We will have to monitor them. We will have to figure it out tomorrow for who is available."
Joel Kuhnel gave up three more in the eighth. Fernando Cruz allowed one in the ninth. The Cubs scored 10 runs in the last three innings.
Stuart Fairchild, hit his first Major League pinch hit home run with a man on in the eighth.
Happ was 3-for-4 on the night. Wisdom 3-for-5. The Cubs banged out 16 hits.
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