Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Chris Heisey scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the bottom of the eighth inning as Cincinnati coughed up a late lead and then came back to beat Chicago, 7-5, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park.
Drew Stubbs had three hits and scored three runs and Ramon Hernandez had three hits and an RBI single for the Reds, who took two of three in the series and have won 11 of 15 to move a season-high five games in front of St. Louis in the National League Central.
Logan Ondrusek (4-0) earned the win in relief and Francisco Cordero worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 35th save for Cincinnati, which took the season series, 12-4.
Sean Marshall (6-5) suffered the loss after allowing the decisive runs on four hits in one inning of work for the Cubs, who finished their road trip with four wins in six games.
Sam LeCure had set down all six batters he faced in relief of Reds starter Travis Wood and turned over a two-run lead to Arthur Rhodes in the eighth.
Geovany Soto greeted the veteran southpaw with a double and Kosuke Fukudome followed with a home run to rightfield that tied the game at five.
Tyler Colvin legged out an infield hit and moved to second base on a one-out Starlin Castro single that chased Rhodes from the hill. Ondrusek came on to squash the threat by getting Marlon Byrd to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Heisey started the winning rally with a one-out single. He advanced to third when Hernandez singled to right before Fukudome made an errant throw past third base that went into the duguout allowing Heisey to score and Hernandez to move to second base.
Paul Janish singled to move Hernandez to third where he was replaced by pinch- runner Brandon Phillips, who was making his first appearance in the series after being hit on the right hand in San Francisco on Wednesday. Jonny Gomes then delivered a pinch-hit infield single that plated Phillips to push the lead to two and bring Andrew Cashner on to replace Marshall.
The rookie right-hander prevented any further damage by getting Stubbs to bounce into a force play and Chris Valaika to fly out.
The Reds manufactured the game's first run in the first inning when Stubbs led off with a double, moved to third base on a Valaika sacrifice bunt and scored on Joey Votto's ground out.
Chicago tied the game in the next half inning on Castro' bloop single to center that chased home pitcher Casey Coleman from second base.
Heisey doubled with one out in the second and scored when Hernandez singled into centerfield to put the hosts back on top and a Scott Rolen sacrifice fly in the third helped the Reds forge a 3-1 lead.
Byrd led off the fifth with a double, moved to third on a one-out single by Xavier Nady and scored when Alfonso Soriano doubled to left. Soto's ground out chased home Nady to get the game even at three.
Wood was lifted after five frames, yielding the three runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out four.
Bruce broke the tie with a lead off long ball in the sixth, his fourth of the series and seventh in his last 15 games. Coleman was removed after six frames during which he yielded four runs on eight hits while striking out two without issuing a walk in his third big league start.
The Reds added what looked to be an insurance run in the seventh off Marcos Mateo when Stubbs bunted for a hit, stole second, moved to third base on Soto's throwing error on the play and came in to score on a Valaika single to center.
Game Notes
Wood was making his 11th start for the Reds but only his second at home...The Reds are 47-12 when scoring first...Castro finished 2-for-5 and has 65 hits since July 10, the most of any player in baseball...The Cubs will honor recent Hall of Fame inductee Andre Dawson in a pre-game ceremony before Monday's game at Wrigley Field...Mayor Richard Daley has declared August 30 "Andre Dawson Day" in Chicago.