CHICAGO (AP) – Brandon Claussen allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings and Ken Griffey Jr. hit a three-run homer Monday night in the Cincinnati Reds’ 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs, who have lost six straight games.

Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns also homered for the Reds. Javier Valentin drove in three runs, including two with a bases-loaded double off Chicago starter Jerome Williams (3-5) in the second.

Dunn’s homer, a two-run shot in the third, was his 33rd and tied him for second in the NL with Chicago’s Derrek Lee. It was Dunn’s 10th homer in 24 games since the All-Star break.

Griffey’s homer, his 24th, capped a four-run rally in the sixth. It was his 18th in 61 games since May 25.

Claussen (7-8) allowed only a double to Todd Walker and a single to Matt Murton while striking out three and walking five. He didn’t give up a hit after the second.

The left-hander has won his last three starts after dropping four straight decisions. Brian Shackelford pitched a scoreless eighth before the Cubs scored four runs in the ninth off Randy Keisler.

The Cubs fell to 27-27 at Wrigley Field and are 61/2 games behind Houston in the NL wild-card race. At 54-58, Chicago is in fourth place in the NL Central, four games ahead of fifth-place Cincinnati.

Williams allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 5 1-3 innings. The right-hander is 0-3 in three starts at Wrigley Field since being acquired from San Francisco on May 28.

Cubs starters have posted only two wins since July 19, a span of 19 games.

Glendon Rusch relieved Williams with one out in the sixth and was charged with one run in 1 2-3 innings. Kerry Wood pitched a perfect eighth.

Valentin’s bases-loaded double in the second gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. Dunn’s homer, a line shot to right-center in the third, extended the lead to 4-0.

Kearns led off the sixth with his homer, and Griffey connected with two outs in the inning to make it 8-0.

Valentin drove in Cincinnati’s final run with a groundout in the seventh.

Jeromy Burnitz, Matt Lawton and Todd Walker had RBI singles in the ninth for Chicago.

Notes: Cubs SS Nomar Garciaparra played his first game at Wrigley Field since April 13. He tore a groin muscle in St. Louis on April 20 and returned from the DL last Friday in New York … The Cubs’ longest losing streak this season is eight games. … Ryan Freel and Felipe Lopez, the Reds’ leadoff and No. 2 hitters, are hitless in their last 41 at-bats combined. … Monday was the 17th anniversary of the Cubs’ first night game, on Aug. 8, 1988. That game started, but was rained out.

AP-ES-08-08-05 2252EDT


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