CHICAGO (AP) — Phillip Ervin hit a two-run homer to snap a tie in the seventh inning and had four RBIs in his first major league start as the Cincinnati Reds rebounded from blowing a nine-run lead to defeat the Chicago Cubs 13-10 on Thursday.
Ervin, in right field in his fifth game, also had a single and double in four at-bats. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old homered as a pinch hitter for his first hit.
Joey Votto lofted a three-run homer in a nine-run, second-inning rally as Cincinnati raced to a 9-0 lead against Cubs starter Jon Lester on a warm day with the wind blowing out.
Ian Happ hit two solo shots and a sacrifice fly, and Alex Avila went deep and had three RBIs for the Cubs, who used six homers to erase a nine-run deficit for the first time since August 1989 versus Houston.
Chicago Cubs starter Jon Lester left Thursday’s game against Cincinnati in the second inning with left lat tightness after allowing nine runs by the Reds.
Lester was replaced by Mike Montgomery after facing 11 batters in the inning and Cincinnati leading 8-0 with two outs. He exited after giving up a double to Eugenio Suarez and was charged with seven earned runs.
