Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cubs (46-71)	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	11	2
Reds (72-47)	0	1	0	5	1	0	0	0	-	7	10	1

Boxscore

And just like that, the Cincinnati Reds are on the verge of another winning streak.

The Reds opened a 4-game series with the Chicago Cubs yesterday, facing their old teammate Travis Wood. The last time they faced Wood, he held them to 1 run over 7 innings. This time, things were different.

The Cubs took the early lead in the second inning, but the Reds tied it in the bottom of the inning when Wood misplayed a ground ball off the bat of Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan was safe at first, and Todd Frazier scored.

Then in the 4th inning, the offense exploded. Ryan Ludwick lead off the inning with his 23rd home run. Wood hit Jay Bruce and then served up a pitch to Frazier that he deposited in the seats in left field for his 16th home run. That gave the Reds a lead they would not relinquish, but they weren’t finished. Bronson Arroyo reached on a double, and was knocked in by Zack Cozart. Drew Stubbs drove in the 5th run of the inning with a triple that scored Cozart.

Arroyo wasn’t at his best in his start, but he kept the team in it and turned in a quality start. In 6 1/3 innings, he allowed 3 runs on 9 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. When the bullpen entered, the Reds had a 4-run lead, and Jose Arredondo, Jonathan Broxton, and Aroldis Chapman kept the Cubs off the board the rest of the way.

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, keeping the Reds’ lead at 6 games.

Today, the Reds play a double-header. Johnny Cueto will take on Jeff Samardzija in the first game at 1:10pm EDT. And then in the second game, the Reds’ streak of using only 5 starting pitchers this season will be broken when Todd Redmond is called up to start against Brooks Raley at 7:10pm EDT.