Chicago Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija struck out seven in 7.2 innings while only allowing three hits and one earned run as the North Siders picked a 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark on Wednesday night. Samardzija's win pushes his record to 3-1 on the season. The Cubs improved to 9-15 overall, while the Reds fall to 11-12.
The Cubs scored one in the second, one in the fourth and one in the sixth. Bryan LaHair and Ian Stewart each hit solo homers to give Chicago the early lead. After Jay Bruce cut the Cubs lead in half by driving in a Reds run while grounding into a double-play, Geovani Soto singled to left to score Alfonso Soriano in the sixth to reach the final margin.
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