Whenever the Cubs come to town Youth Su'a Cravens Jersey , their fans fill the stands at Great American Ball Park and their offense usually carries the day. Not so for the last two.

Eugenio Suarez hit a go-ahead homer off Jose Quintana in the fifth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds held on for their fifth straight victory Friday night, 6-3 over the Cubs .

The Reds have won the first two games in the four-game set, a recent rarity in the rivalry. It’s only the second time in the last two years that they’ve won back-to-back games in a series against Chicago. The Cubs are 43-21 against the Reds over the last four seasons.

Cincinnati’s winning streak is one shy of its season high. The Reds are last in the NL Central at 30-45.

”We’re playing really good baseball right now,” Suarez said . ”When you play like that, good things can happen.”

Suarez’s two-run shot in the fifth inning off Quintana (6-6) gave him a team-high 16 homers and put the Reds ahead 4-3. Billy Hamilton and Joey Votto also singled home runs off Quintana, who had allowed only six earned runs in his last four starts combined.

Quintana hung a changeup on his second pitch to Suarez, who has four homers in his last six games.

”I just missed my spot – a bad pitch,” Quintana said through a translator. ”A bad time to have that happen.”

Suarez also singled twice and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, the longest by a Reds third baseman since Todd Frazier hit in 14 straight in 2014.

Javier Baez drove in a run with a bunt single off Luis Castillo (5-8), and Kyle Schwarber followed with a two-run homer, his third in four games. Castillo went 5 2/3 innings for his first victory since May 24, ending a streak of four straight losses.

Raisel Iglesias retired the side in the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances.

”That was one of our cleaner ballgames of the season Youth Courtland Sutton Jersey ,” interim manager Jim Riggleman said. ”We played a good ballgame – offensively, defensively, ran the bases well, timely hitting.”

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo went a combined 0 for 8 with three strikeouts as Chicago’s offense struggled again, managing only four hits.

”We’ve played maybe two of our least-impressive games in a month,” manager Joe Maddon said. ”It’s just not been us playing our typical game.”

DUENSING BACK

Left-handed reliever Brian Duensing was activated off the bereavement list before the game. He had been gone for four days to attend his grandfather’s funeral. The Cubs optioned right-hander Justin Hancock to Triple-A Iowa.

GREAT GRAB

Cubs reliever Justin Wilson made a diving grab of Jesse Winker’s bunt in the seventh, landing on his chest while stretching for the ball. He was shaken up for a moment but stayed in the game.

STATS

Each of Schwarber’s last three hits has been a home run. Schwarber grew up in nearby Middletown and attended Reds games at Great American. He’s batted .318 in 30 career games against the Reds with nine homers and 25 RBIs.

TOP PICK, FIRST PITCH

Bengals center Billy Price threw a ceremonial pitch pregame, bouncing it to the plate. Price was the Bengals’ top pick in the draft.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Yu Darvish could begin a rehab assignment next week. He threw 50 pitches in a simulated game without problem on Wednesday. Darvish has been sidelined since May 23 because of tendinitis in his right triceps.

Reds: Homer Bailey will make a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, throwing between 75 and 90 pitches. Bailey has been sidelined since June 2 with a sore right knee. He’s 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Luke Farrell (2-2) will make his first start of the season after a dozen relief appearances.

Reds: Anthony DeSclafani makes his fourth start. He was sidelined for the first two months with a strained oblique suffered during spring training. DeSclafani is 2-1 with a 4.60 ERA.

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HOUSTON — Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch occasionally bristles at conventional methodology, particularly given the availability of superior data and how its dissemination shapes decisions.

For instance, last Friday in Kansas City, the Astros (50-26) recalled first baseman Tyler White to take the roster spot of left-handed reliever Reymin Guduan Youth Isaac Yiadom Jersey , who made one appearance two days earlier before being placed on the paternity list for the birth of his child.

That move left the Astros one arm short in the bullpen and, when Guduan exhausted his time on the paternity list, the organization returned him to Triple-A Fresno instead of recalling him to Houston.

The Astros have completed two series with an extra position player on their bench, a move that some might consider unorthodox but one Hinch is reticent to harp on, despite being asked about his roster configuration more than once in the past week.

“In the heat in Kansas City, it was nice to have an extra guy when we won by a lot,” Hinch said of a 10-2 victory on June 16. “Maneuvering some pinch-hit opportunities has been key. Obviously, it allowed us to start an all right-handed lineup (Tuesday against Rays left-hander Blake Snell) and give (second baseman Jose) Altuve most of the day off.

“Our starters have gone pretty deep … the last two outings, which has allowed the bullpen to get rested. It feels a little different to have seven relievers, but in actuality, that’s too many. I’d have five position players on the bench if I could.”

The Astros, who will open a three-game series with the Royals on Friday at Minute Maid Park, will stand pat with seven relievers for the immediate future.

Right-hander Joe Smith Youth Josey Jewell Jersey , currently on the 10-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation, has begun a throwing program and is poised for a return to the active roster that could reset the bullpen balance.

Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (4-8, 4.15 ERA) will start the opener for Houston. He is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals and picked up the win over Kansas City in his last start, allowing two unearned runs, six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings in a 10-2 victory on June 16.

Keuchel had been 0-3 with a 7.33 ERA in his previous five starts.

The Royals will counter with left-hander Danny Duffy (3-7, 5.55 ERA) on Friday. Duffy surrendered seven runs (six earned), seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in six innings of his previous start, a 10-2 loss to the Astros on June 16. He is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA in eight career appearances (five starts) against Houston.

Kansas City (22-52) has dropped nine consecutive games and 15 of 16 overall, including all three games during a series against the Astros last weekend at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals are batting .188 this month, their worst record in any month under ninth-year manager Ned Yost.

The Royals last won a road series on May 21-23, taking the final two games of a three-game set at St. Louis.