Cubs battle back with power surge vs. Reds

CHICAGO — As the Cubs spend the next two weeks preparing themselves for the postseason, the National League Central champions were given a chance to inch closer to their 100th win against a Reds team they’ve had their way with most of this season. By erupting for three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth, Chicago emerged with the 5-2 victory at Wrigley Field on Monday night.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth inning for his 35th save as he faced his former team for the first time. Chapman was with Cincinnati from 2010-15. Due to the Nationals’ loss, the Cubs’ magic number to clinch home-field advantage in the NL postseason is five.

Cincinnati pitchers gave up three home runs late in the game to set a new Major League single-season record with 242 homers allowed — eclipsing the old mark held by the 1996 Tigers. The Cubs (95-55) have hit 35 homers vs. the Reds this season and also hit at least one in 16 straight games.

Reds starter Tim Adleman carried a 2-0 shutout into the seventh when Addison Russell and Willson Contreras slugged solo home runs. Reliever Blake Wood took over and couldn’t keep the game tied as a Chris Coghlan double and Dexter Fowler’s two-out RBI single provided the go-ahead run.

“Addison hits the homer, and that one put a different thought in the pitcher’s head,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “I mean, he’s been going so well, and then all of the sudden the ball goes far, and then you think differently.”

With two outs against Wood in the eighth, Jason Heyward lifted a two-run homer to left-center field to ice the game and give the Reds a dubious record. The Cubs have won 11 of 14 games vs. Cincinnati in 2016.

“We needed to outscore them today and not have to win a 2-1 or 2-0 game,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We were going to have to put more runs on the board. Realistically, to ask Tim Adleman to throw a shutout or give up one run in seven innings would have been a tall order against any team, but certainly a team like the Cubs that is as adept as they are at scoring runs.”

Cubs starter Jason Hammel picked up the win with two earned runs allowed over seven innings with four hits, one walk and six strikeouts. Adleman finished 6 1/3 innings with two earned runs, five hits, no walks and five strikeouts.

“I was happy that as the game went on, things got better,” said Hammel, who improved to 15-9 and became the Cubs’ fourth starter to reach at least 15 wins. “This team continues to prove as long you hang around for a little while, they’re going to put up something and they’ll make it …

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