Rookie Sal Stewart homers for the 3rd straight game, helping the Reds beat the Cubs 7-5

[August 31, 2026]  CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Sal Stewart homered for the third straight game to help offset two more home runs by Pete Crow-Armstrong, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Sunday night after rain delayed the start 25 minutes.
 
Dane Myers hit a go-ahead homer off Shoto Imanaga (8-10) leading off the fifth inning and Tyler Stephenson followed with a two-run shot after a single by Elly De La Cruz for a 6-3 lead. De La Cruz left after that with left quad tightness.

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Stewart homered for the 31st time — off Trent Thornton — for the Reds' final run in the seventh.

Crow-Armstrong homered leading off the first against Chase Burns (15-3) to give the Cubs the lead. It his fourth in seven at-bats after hitting three Saturday in a 17-5 victory over the Reds. The NL's MVP front-runner hit his 38th homer — a solo shot off Reds closer Emilio Pagán in the ninth before the right-hander finished off his 19th save.

Burns allowed three runs — two earned — on six hits in 5 2/3 innings as Cincinnati beat the Cubs in the rubber game of the series after losing six of seven matchups previously.

Michael Conforto had an RBI single in the second to put Chicago up 2-0.

Héctor Rodríguez hit his fourth homer — a three-run shot that put the Reds ahead 3-2 in the fourth — but Ian Happ walked and scored an unearned run on a throwing error by Rodríguez in right field to tie it in the bottom half.

Imanaga surrendered six runs on eight hits in five innings on a day the Cubs inducted pitcher Jon Lester, catcher Jody Davis and late broadcaster Vince Lloyd into their Hall of Fame.

Hall of Famer Greg Maddux threw wild on the ceremonial first pitch with more than 20 members of the Cubs' 150th anniversary team in attendance.

Up next
Reds RHP Brady Singer (5-12, 4.72 ERA) was set to start Monday night in Cincinnati opposite Padres RHP Michael King (8-9, 3.23). The Cubs haven't announced a starter Monday night against the visiting Brewers and LHP Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79).

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