CINCINNATI — Matthew Boyd ended a six-start winless streak, Dansby Swanson hit his first home run since coming off the injured list and the Chicago Cubs moved closer to their second straight playoff berth by beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Saturday.
Michael Busch hit a tiebreaking home run off Nick Lodolo (3-6) in the sixth inning for a 3-2 lead, reaching 20 homers for the third time in four seasons.
Swanson added a ninth-inning drive against Zach McCambley, Swanson’s home run and first since Aug. 12. He returned Friday from a strained left oblique that had sidelined him since Aug. 16.
At 86-69, the Cubs magic number to clinch a wild-card berth is two. The Cubs remained tied with the San Diego Padres for the top wild-card spot, and both moved one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Boyd (9-5) had been been 0-4 since beating the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 9. He allowed two runs — one earned — and two hits in five innings as part of a four-hitter.
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Lodolo gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings for the Reds, who have lost nine of 12.
Matt Shaw’s sacrifice fly in the second and Seiya Suzuki RBI single in the fifth built a 2-0 lead.
The Reds tied the score in the bottom half on Swanson’s run-scoring throwing error at shortstop and Ke’Bryan Hayes’ RBI single.
Nico Hoerner added a run-scoring single in the eighth.